Passion
by JaiSpade
Summary: In drastic situations, who can you rely on to be there for you? Who will pick you up when you fall? Who will save you when you've hit rock bottom? Leo/Piper centric with bits of Prue, Phoebe, Cole, etc. COMPLETE
1. The Fight That Ends Everything

**Hey guys. This is my first Charmed story and I hope it goes well. It is a magic fic, although the charmed destiny is not the main topic. I wanted to include magic because some readers love it and I want it to be kind of close to the show. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole idea of making up an entirely different world with these characters, but this will be based off the show. Anyway, I hope you all like it and there should be more to come. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed, but I really wish I did.**

It was supposed to be a beautiful day. The sky was blue and cloudless, children were playing all happy and cheerful, and couples were out and about enjoying the company of one another. Yes, everything was perfect. However, one couple in San Francisco wasn't having such a beautiful day.

They were at it again, for what seemed like the hundredth time this week. Piper Halliwell ran down the stairs of the Manor. The anger and pain in her eyes were clearly visible from a mile away. This is not how she wanted to spend her Saturday. She followed her husband into the foyer, who seemed to be making an attempt to run away from her.

"Leo, don't you dare walk away from me!" she shouted.

"Fine!" Leo started to orb away, but Piper quickly froze him.

Piper sighed in frustration and unfroze his head. Leo got angrier.

"That's not fair. You can't use your powers." he gritted his teeth.

"No powers? What the hell is orbing?" she snapped, flinging her arms around.

"Unfreeze me. Now." he demanded.

"No." Piper folded her arms across her chest.

"Piper, I mean it." Leo said.

"No." she said again, angrier than the last.

Leo impatiently waited for the freeze to wear off, then quickly walked over to his wife, and grabbed her wrists. She viciously tried to pry her hands from his grip, but had no success.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

"Why should I?" he asked angrily.

Piper continued to struggle as Leo trapped her between a wall and himself. Piper was getting angrier by the minute.

"So help me God, Leo Wyatt, keep pushing me." Piper challenged him.

"What the hell are you so mad about? Huh?" he asked.

"Because you never listen to me! And you blame me for all our fights! Do you think I want this? I just want you to spend some more time with me. Is that such a bad thing? But, we can't even spend more than five minutes together without breaking out into an argument anymore. I can't keep living like this." Piper began to cry. "You know, I didn't think your job would be so important that you would let your marriage slip. I probably would have been happier with Dan!"

That hit Leo like a ton of bricks. He never thought she would say that. Not after everything they've gone through to get this far. He let go of her and stumbled backwards. Words deserted his mind as he stared at her with his mouth slightly open.

Piper just looked at him. She was beyond pissed. She hadn't realized how much that one statement wounded him. All she knew was that she was mad and wanted to hurt him, but she just didn't know how much she actually did.

"Uh, well…" Leo didn't know what to say. "Maybe you're right. Maybe you should find him and let him make you happy."

Piper didn't have time to speak before Leo orbed out. She stood there, taking in the words that were exchanged from one another. Sure it was just another crazy argument, but was it really worth it? Did he mean what he said? Did she? Were they over? All Piper wanted was to spend quality time with her husband, like normal couples do. She understood that Leo had a job that takes time and patience, but that didn't help the fact that she missed him. Was it so wrong for her to want to be with him? They are married after all, right? That was what she wanted him to comprehend. His job is important, yes, but she should be just a little more important. At least, that's what she thought. Piper suddenly felt a jab in her heart. Realization hit her. She made a mistake. A huge one.

_o_

Leo orbed to Golden Gate Bridge. His favorite place to be alone and think. His place of serenity. He sat down and swung his legs off the edge. His heart was aching. It all hurt so much. Every part of their fight was stupid and pointless. He loved his wife more than words can express. Not even his job could get in the way. But lately, all he did was work, because no matter how much he loved Piper, his job was still important to him. Besides, it's not like he could ignore the desperate cry of a charge in need. There wasn't a switch that silenced the voices in his head. No, Piper was his world, but his world was constantly interrupted by people in need. He couldn't believe what had happened, though. Was that the end of his marriage? Did Piper really want Dan again? Could he handle this pain? He didn't know. Leo wiped away the tear that slowly slipped from his eye. There was nothing he could do to fix this.

_o_

Piper sat at the island in the kitchen with her face buried in her hands. She hadn't stopped crying since she and Leo began fighting. All the harsh things that came out of her mouth from utter frustration were complete lies. How could she say what she said to Leo? The man she loved with every fiber of her being was God knows where and she was sitting here, drowning in sorrow. She just didn't know how to fix this one.

While Piper was contemplating how she was going to get her husband back, Prue and Phoebe walked in the back door, laughing but immediately stopped at the sight of their sister.

"Piper? What's wrong?" Prue asked as they walked up to her, standing on each side of her.

Piper sniffled and shook her head. Her face was still covered with her hands. She couldn't speak through her tears.

"Where's Leo?" Phoebe asked.

That made Piper cry even harder. Phoebe flinched, knowing she just made it worse for her big sister. But at least they knew what made Piper so sad. Of course, they should have known. Leo and Piper have been fighting continuously for days.

"Honey," Prue placed a hand on Piper's back. "What happened between you two?"

"We got into another fight, worse than before and I said some things that I didn't mean but I know that I hurt him so badly that may have made him want to leave me." Piper cried. "It started off as something as little as why he hasn't been home for more than five minutes at a time and then it ended with me saying I would have been happier with Dan."

Phoebe and Prue looked at each other, then back at Piper.

"Oh, sweetie." Phoebe smoothed back Piper's hair out of her face.

"I didn't mean it! I was just so angry that I said anything to hurt him." Piper cried.

"Well, honey, that's understandable. But, I honestly doubt Leo would leave you. Come on, it's you and him." Prue tried to comfort her. "Sure, words were spoken out of anger to hurt one another, but it was out of the heat of the moment. You guys are too much in love to let this get in the way of that. You just have to believe that."

"I do believe that, I think." Piper sobbed. "And it was just in the heat of the moment. I just hope wherever he is, he's okay and he'll come back to me."

"He will, Piper." Phoebe hugged her sister. "It's Leo."

Just then, Cole shimmered into the kitchen. The three sisters looked at him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got issues." Cole spoke.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked.

"New demon in town. Goes by the name of Aros. Might be one of the Source's assassins. He's already killed a witch." he answered.

"Okay, Piper," Prue turned to her. "We can talk later, but right now, we've got business to take care of."

"I know. Just another day in our lives, right?" Piper smiled weakly.

Prue smiled back and Phoebe placed a kiss to Piper's head. Everyone but Piper headed upstairs to the Book of Shadows. She lingered in the kitchen for a moment, trying to talk herself into putting her marital problems to the side and dealing with the demonic problems now. After a few more minutes of sustaining herself, Piper left the kitchen and went upstairs to join her sisters.

_o_

Leo sat on top of the bridge for quite a while. His mind rested on Piper. No matter how hard he'd try, his thoughts always drifted back to her. He thought about what she said: _"Because you never listen to me! And you blame me for all our fights! I just want you to spend some more time with me. Is that such a bad thing? But, we can't even spend more than five minutes together without breaking out into an argument anymore. I can't keep living like this. You know, I didn't think your job would be so important that you would let your marriage slip. I probably would have been happier with Dan." _Leo never blamed their fights on her, well not her alone. And he knows how much it means to Piper to spend time together, because it means just as much to him. He tries not to fight with her, but they always end up having a screaming match. Hearing her mention Dan was like a bullet to his heart. That statement replayed over and over in his mind until he couldn't take it anymore.

"There has to be a way to fix this." Leo stood up.

With that final thought, he orbed back to the manor, and into his and Piper's bedroom. She wasn't there. Good. He needed some time to figure out how to go about this without making Piper angry. He always hated to see her unhappy. He sat on the bed and tried to think of a way to make things right. Little did he know that all Piper wanted was for him to come home and talk to her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her it was going to be alright.

_o_

In the attic, Prue and Phoebe were hovering over the book as they searched for the demon, Aros. Cole stood close, but not close enough to get zapped by the book since evil couldn't touch it. Piper was too busy looking out of the window. She couldn't concentrate on the demon. All she could think about was Leo. Where is he? Why hasn't he come home yet? It's been hours.

"Piper. Piper?" Prue's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Piper turned away from the window to look at her sisters.

"Um, honey, why don't you sit this one out. According to the book, Aros is not a powerful demon. We don't need the power of three to vanquish him. I know you're not in the mood to go demon hunting right now, so it's okay." Phoebe spoke.

"But you might need my power." Piper said.

"I think we'll be fine without it for this one demon." Prue smiled reassuringly.

Piper stood there in silence for a moment. Then, with just a nod, she exited the attic. Walking to her bedroom, Piper let a tear fall. She desperately did not want her marriage to be over.

Leo was concentrating so hard on his thoughts, he didn't hear the quiet footsteps coming towards the room. Suddenly, he heard the door open. Leo jumped off the bed and whipped around to see a stunned Piper standing in the doorway.

**And that's the end of chapter one. Would you like to read more? Then, REVIEW! :) Thanks guys.**


	2. How It Ends

**I'm back with chapter two. Enjoy, my readers. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Charmed, but I wish I did.**

_Leo was concentrating so hard on his thoughts, he didn't hear the quiet footsteps coming towards the room. Suddenly, he heard the door open. Leo jumped off the bed and whipped around to see a stunned Piper standing in the doorway._

For a minute, neither spoke a word. Leo could feel what Piper was feeling at that moment. She felt sad, he was guessing because of the fight; relieved, because he was back; and angry, maybe for the fight, too. Piper stood in the doorway, shocked. She didn't think Leo would be here. She was relieved because he was home, but she was angry.

"You were here this whole time, while I was worrying about you for the past few hours?" she spat, tears forming in her eyes.

"No, I came back a few minutes ago." he said. "I didn't know if you wanted to see me or not. After the way things ended this morning, I didn't know if there was an us anymore."

It was quiet for a moment again. Suddenly, Piper ran across the room. She tackled Leo so hard, he fell backwards onto the bed with a grunt. Piper sat on top of him, clutching the front of his shirt in her hands, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"What the hell is the matter with you? There is an us. There will always be an us. I. Want. You." Piper shouted angrily.

"But, what about what you said this morning?" Leo asked, confused. "About Dan?"

"I was angry and hurt, Leo! I said anything that would hurt you. I didn't mean it, any of it! I love you, I love you, I love you, I love-" Piper's ranting was interrupted by Leo pulling her head down and kissing her.

Piper's heart fluttered. She loosened her grip on his shirt as they kissed and moved them up to each side of his neck. Leo's hand stayed on the back of her head as the other wrapped around her waist. Piper parted her lips slightly to slip Leo's top lip between them and sucked on it lightly. Leo sucked on her bottom lip. He gripped her hips and slowly turned them over, putting him on top of her. Piper moaned slightly as she felt Leo's familiar weight against her body. He lifted her right leg and swung it over his butt, pressing against her more, leaving his hand on her thigh. Piper's left hand was gripping onto his dirty blonde hair as the right one trailed along his back. Leo's lips moved across Piper's chin, jaw, and down her neck to her collarbone, sucking on it. Piper moaned.

"I…always want…you." Piper said between breaths. "I wish…you'd be home…more often, though. I…miss you."

Piper was so distracted with the way Leo was massaging her neck with his lips. Leo trailed kisses along her entire jaw until he reached her ear.

"Piper, I know I've been busy. I wish I was home more often, too. But I've been covering for another whitelighter for the past couple weeks." Leo continued to shower her with kisses. "I miss you, too and I hate when the time we have with each other is interrupted by fighting. You are the most important thing in my life and I'm sorry that I haven't been showing it to you."

"Leo, I understand that you're job is important, I really do." Piper ran her hands over Leo's back and chest." But, all this fighting is hard on our marriage. I hate it just as much as you do, maybe even more so, which is why when something is bothering us, we should talk instead of yell." she kissed his nose, his cheeks, his forehead, and finally his lips. "And if I really thought I would have been happier with Dan, then I wouldn't be here right now with you."

Leo smiled and gently kissed every inch of Piper's face.

"I promise to pay more attention to you and make you feel important." Leo kissed her lips.

"And I promise to be more patient and not nag you about your job so much." Piper kissed him back.

Leo laid down next to his wife and pulled her to him. He wrapped an arm around her back, resting his hand on her hip, and fiddled with the hem of her top with the other hand. Piper pressed her body against his and rested her head on his chest. She played with the buttons on Leo's flannel shirt while they laid together in each other's arms. As the couple stayed in silence, a knock was heard throughout the room.

"Piper?" Prue called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah?" Piper answered.

She clung tighter to Leo, hoping she wouldn't have to leave him and go demon hunting.

"We're leaving to do demon business." Prue said.

"Okay." Piper smiled.

Leo and Piper heard the footsteps fade as the other members of the house left. Piper sighed in contentment and looked up at Leo's handsome face. He looked down at her and smiled.

"See what happens when we don't fight?" Piper joked.

Leo laughed at her comment.

"Yeah, this is way better than fighting." he kissed the top of her head.

She pushed herself up to kiss him ardently.

"I wonder if they knew you're here." Piper said, referring to Prue and Phoebe.

"I don't know. They're smart. They'll figure it out." Leo stretched, letting go of her.

He spread out and rolled over slightly, ending up with the left side of his body covering Piper's. He nuzzled his forehead into her neck. She giggled and ran her right hand through his hair. With a kiss to his head, the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

_o_

"Piper's happy again. I hope she stays that way." Phoebe smiled as they came back from the demon vanquish.

Aros put up quite a fight, but it was nothing Prue and Phoebe couldn't handle. Cole had gone with them and now the three of them returned back to the Manor.

"How do you know she's happy?" Cole asked.

"Because Leo's back." Prue answered. "I could hear it in her voice. Plus, if she wasn't happy, then she would have came with us to take her revenge out on the demon."

"Basic common sense, Cole." Phoebe smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Right." Cole had a confused look on his face.

"Do you think their doing you know what?" Prue asked with a smirk on her face.

"I don't know. But we might as well not go barge into their room, just in case." Phoebe said.

"Good idea." Prue nodded her head.

Prue, Phoebe, and Cole went into the kitchen in search of something to eat.

_o_

Piper woke up to something wet and ticklish against her neck. She giggled and opened her eyes to see Leo kissing her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I couldn't help myself anymore. You looked so adorable sleeping and I don't know." Leo tried to answer, then kissed her lips softly.

Piper smiled up at her husband. Leo caught her staring and laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"You're just…unbelievable." Piper gently grabbed onto his shirt and pulled herself closer to him.

"What did I do?" Leo asked, stroking her hair away from her face.

"You're amazing. Words can't even express what you are." Piper buried her head in his chest. "You're my angel."

"I'm everybody's angel." he smiled, then kissed her temple.

"No." she shook her head. "You're _my _angel _only._"

"Okay, baby. I'm your angel only." he chuckled.

"Everyone else calls you their whitelighter." she said.

"Right. But you know," Leo ran his hand down her side to her hip. "I'm not always a good little angel."

Leo kissed her neck and Piper smiled.

"Yes, I do know." she kissed his chest. "And I better be the only one who knows that."

"Well, Prue and Phoebe know." he said.

Piper looked up at him with an accusing look.

"They know that we get busy. Plus, you end up telling them anyway." he explained with a chuckle.

"Leo!" she playfully hit his arm. "You know what I mean. I better be the only one who sees your naughty side."

She climbed on top of Leo and placed her hands on his chest. His hands ran up and down her back.

"You are the only one I would ever show." he kissed her.

"Show me now." Piper whispered as she leaned down and kissed him hungrily.

Leo took his time making love to her. He wanted to make sure she enjoyed every minute of it, like he always did. Every moan and scream that would come from Piper made him love her even more. An hour later, the couple reached their highs. Leo collapsed on top of his wife and she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I love you." Piper kissed his shoulder.

"I love you, too." Leo stayed on top of her and laid his head next to hers as they fell asleep once more.

Hours later, it was 9:00pm. Piper woke up and realized it was after dinner. She groaned and tried to get up, but remembered that Leo was still sound asleep on top of her. She smiled and ran her hand through his hair. Piper grabbed her cell phone off of her nightstand and sent a text to Phoebe.

_Hey, did you guys eat?_ Piper asked.

_Yeah, we ordered some pizza. There's still some left if you're hungry. _Phoebe texted back.

_Okay. I'm coming down. I'm starving. I just have to figure out how to get this man off me!_ Piper replied, then looked at Leo.

_Ooh, Piper got some! _Phoebe sent back.

Piper laughed at the message, waking Leo up. She threw her phone back on her nightstand and gently pushed Leo off of her. He rolled onto his back with a groan. Piper smiled and tried to get out of the bed. Leo grabbed her arm and pulled her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"That was not nice." he said, huskily.

"Falling asleep on top of me is not nice." Piper kissed his nose.

"Fine. I won't do it again." Leo said.

"Leo!" she whined as she rested her head next to his on his pillow. "I'm hungry."

"And what would you like me to do about that?" he asked, caressing her back.

"Come downstairs with me to eat something." she said, kissing his shoulder.

"Okay." Leo smiled.

The couple got out of bed and got dressed. Leo pulled on some sweats and a t-shirt, while Piper wore pajama bottoms and grabbed the t-shirt Leo had worn that day. Satisfied with their clothes, they walked hand-in-hand downstairs. Prue, Phoebe, and Cole were in the living room watching a movie as Leo and Piper walked in.

"Hey, you two." Prue smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Piper flushed with embarrassment and hid behind Leo, slightly.

"Yeah, well, we came down for some food." Piper said.

"There's pizza in the oven." Prue replied. "You guys should watch this movie with us."

"I'll watch." Leo said, glancing at the TV screen.

"I'm pretty tired. I'm just gonna eat and go back to bed." Piper answered.

"Don't you think you've seen enough of your mattress?" Cole mused, causing Prue and Phoebe to laugh.

"You know what, you guys are mean. I'm leaving." Piper let go of Leo's hand and started towards the kitchen.

"We love you, Piper!" Phoebe yelled.

"Whatever!" Piper yelled back.

Once in the kitchen, Piper grinned and ran to the oven. She quickly pulled out the pizza box and placed it on the stove. She grabbed a plate and piled two slices of pizza on it, then made her way towards the microwave. When it was done heating up, Piper took a huge bite out of it and sighed in relief. Suddenly, two arms wove around her waist.

"That hungry, huh?" he whispered in her ear.

Piper was facing the microwave as she ate her pizza. She nodded.

"I thought I filled you up." he whispered again.

He turned her around and pressed her against the counter, resting his hands on her hips.

"You're not food." Piper took another bite of her pizza.

"You've got a little sauce on your face." he smiled.

Piper's cheeks reddened. Before she could wipe it away, Leo gently licked it off the corner of her mouth. He pulled back and looked at her. She stared back for a moment, then continued to eat her pizza. He smiled at her, then reached behind her for the second slice of pizza. He started eating it.

"That was my piece." she said.

"You still have that slice, and you're whining about this one?" Leo let her go and walked away. "Very greedy, Piper."

Piper rolled her eyes and ate her pizza. After she was full, she was ready to sleep again. She walked upstairs and crawled into bed. Leo stayed downstairs with the rest of them and watched the movie. Piper closed her eyes with a sigh, remembering the day she had just lived. She smiled to herself, knowing that if she could, she would do it all again.

**Reviews are gold, my fellow readers. I put a lot of effort into this chapter. I know not much has happened, but the next chapter will surely make this story good, I hope. So don't get to review. Thanks guys. :)**


	3. A Visitor

**I updated! Please enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed, but I wish I did.**

Morning came, and Piper was no longer alone in her bed. She turned on her side, coming face to face with her husband. She opened her eyes and smiled. Piper loved to watch Leo sleep, even though she hates when he does it to her. No even a few minutes later, Leo's eyes fluttered open to find Piper looking at him.

"Good morning, honey." he mumbled sleepily.

"Morning." she whispered.

Leo rolled over onto his back and stretched. Piper closed her eyes again and sighed. The next thing she knew, she was laying on Leo. He stroked the hair out of her face.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked softly.

"Nothing." she shook her head. "I was just thinking about yesterday. I'm hoping that today won't start off like yesterday did."

Leo pulled her head up to his and kissed her slowly. Piper eagerly accepted it.

"I love you." he said. "Today is all about that. Just like everyday."

"I love you, too." she smiled.

She gently rolled over, pulling Leo on top of her. She buried her head in his shoulder, and held him tight.

"I thought you didn't want me on top of you?" Leo joked.

"I don't." her voice was muffled against his shoulder.

"Alright then." he started to move off of her.

"No." Piper protested and pulled him back.

"Make up your mind, woman!" he laughed.

"No!" Piper smiled and playfully pushed him away.

The two got ready for the day and proceeded downstairs hand-in-hand. They walked into the kitchen to find Phoebe eating a muffin.

"See? That's the behavior that shouldn't change." Phoebe smiled.

Piper smiled and blushed a little before pulling away from Leo to start cooking breakfast for the family. Prue came downstairs the same time Cole had shimmered in. The five members of the household sat down at the table and ate together.

_o_

It was around noon, while Prue was at work and Phoebe was out with Cole, when the doorbell rang.

"Leo…" Piper mumbled walking backwards out of the kitchen. "I…have…to get…that."

Leo held Piper against him as he kissed her passionately. The couple had been in the kitchen preparing for lunch, when Piper turned around and accidentally bumped into Leo, causing him to drop the salad onto the floor. Piper burst into laughter. Leo laughed too, and picked up some of the lettuce off the floor, smiling mischievously at Piper. She dared him to throw it at her, which he did. The two erupted in a salad fight, which ended in a make-out session against the door that leads down to the basement.

The doorbell rang again as they walked towards the door, still connected at the lips. Whilst Piper, who was laughing, pulled away from Leo, who was smiling, she opened the door. All laughing died down once they saw who was standing at the door.

"Oh my God, Dan." Piper couldn't be more shocked.

"Hi, Piper." he smiled.

"Uh, what…are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you moved."

"I did." Dan laughed. "I moved back, just down the block. I thought I'd come visit you."

"Well then. Come in." Piper smiled and stepped aside, bumping into Leo in the process.

Piper closed the door, then looked between her husband and her ex-boyfriend. Feeling the tension rise, she spoke out.

"Uh, Dan, you remember Leo, right?" Piper gestured towards Leo.

"Yeah, yeah." Dan stuck out his hand. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise." Leo plastered a smile on his face as he shook Dan's hand.

"Well, we were making lunch, so why don't you join us. We can catch up." Piper suggested.

"Uh, sure." Dan smiled.

"Yeah, so why don't you go into the kitchen, and we'll be there in a minute." Leo said, placing a hand on Piper's arm.

Dan walked into the kitchen as Leo pulled Piper into the living room.

"Piper." Leo started.

"What?" Piper shrugged. "I can't exactly shoo him away, can I?"

"I don't like this." he folded his arms across his chest.

"Leo, It's just lunch. We're just going to talk. What's he gonna do? Kiss me in front of you?" she replied.

"Over my dead body!" Leo slightly shouted.

"Calm down! That's not gonna happen." Piper said, then smiled. "Besides, you're already dead."

"Ha ha." he said sarcastically.

"Come on, Leo." Piper placed her hands on his shoulders. "Give me a smile."

"No." he pouted like a child.

"Not even a little one?" she kissed his lips softly.

Leo smiled and pulled her closer to kiss her again.

"Before we get carried away." Piper laughed, then grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the kitchen.

"You guys were making lunch?" Dan asked as they walked into the kitchen.

They saw pieces of salad all over the kitchen.

"Oh, my. I totally forgot about this mess." Piper blushed.

"It's alright. We can just clean it up and go out to eat." Dan offered.

"No, you don't have to clean. You just sit there while I do it." Piper said, moving over to the mess.

Leo helped without being asked, since he was a part of it. Dan sat at the table and watched them. He watched as Piper would smile up at Leo occasionally and Leo would touch Piper affectionately on her shoulder, her back, her waist, and the back of her head as they passed each other while cleaning up the mess.

Soon, they were done cleaning, and the three were off to a nearby bistro. They were seated outside, enjoying the cool weather of November.

"So, Dan, how has it been over the past year?" Piper asked as their drinks were placed in front of them.

"Oh, nothing interesting. I've been working a lot. Never really have time for anything else." Dan smiled.

"Oh, still doing construction?" Piper took a sip of her soda.

"No, no. I found a more…fitting profession." Dan chuckled.

"Oh? What do you do?" Piper asked.

"Uh, you could say I do a lot of hunting. You know, I'm here and there." Dan smiled.

"Sounds really interesting." Piper laughed.

She looked over at Leo, who had not spoken a word since they left the Manor. He stared out into the light traffic that passed by the restaurant. He seemed distant.

"Piper?" Dan called her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" she tore her eyes from Leo to look at Dan.

"I asked how you've been." he said.

The waiter came up with their orders and placed them in front of them.

"Oh, uh. Pretty much the same thing since the last time I've seen you." Piper smiled, taking a bite out of her food. "I still own the club, still cook, still live with my sisters, still with Leo. The club is doing great. I'm the only one who cooks in the house, so there's no choice in that one. But, Prue became a professional photographer. Phoebe went back to college."

Dan nodded his head as he took a sip of his drink.

"And Leo and I got married." Piper smiled placing her left hand on top of Leo's right.

Dan choked on his drink a little. His eyes widened in shock. Dan looked down at Piper's hand, and there rested an engagement ring and wedding band.

"M-married?" he stuttered.

"Yeah." she smiled.

"Oh, then congratulations." he smiled a fake smile.

Piper noticed this and frowned in confusion.

"Aren't you happy for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course." he smiled.

Leo continued to push his food around in his plate in silence while Dan and Piper rambled on about stuff he wasn't even listening to. To him, sitting there was awkward. He had nothing to say, and with Dan being there, it was so uncomfortable. To his discomfort, Dan started talking about old memories he shared with Piper. Leo finally couldn't take it anymore and excused himself from the table. Piper watched as he hastily walked inside the restaurant.

"It wasn't smart to do that, Dan." Piper stood up from the table.

Dan watched as Piper went inside as well, with a blank look on his face. Piper walked quickly and spotted Leo right before he walked into the restroom. She practically ran to him before he could, and collided with him. Leo stumbled backwards a little, but caught his balance. Piper would have fallen over if Leo had not helped her stand up.

"Please, don't be angry with me. I'm really sorry about Dan. I didn't think he would mention the time I was with him. I thought he would be a little more respectful. I'm so sorry. I-" Piper was interrupted.

"Shh." Leo stroked the hair out of her face and caressed her cheek. "It's okay, baby. I'm not mad at you. I shouldn't even be mad at all. You're allowed to be friends with whoever you want."

"I would understand if you a little mad. I know how jealous you get when a guy comes around, especially Dan." Piper smiled, snaking her arms around his waist.

"Yeah, yeah." he kissed her head. "Let's go finish lunch and go home, okay?"

"Whatever you want, honey." she smiled.

They walked back to their table holding hands. Dan stood up when they reached him.

"Piper, I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking." Dan apologized. "Leo, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay." Piper smiled slightly. "Isn't it, Leo?"

"Yeah. It's alright." Leo said.

"Good, good." Dan smiled. "Well, I hate to cut lunch short, but I gotta run. I have business to attend to. I hope to see you around."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll see you around, then." Piper smiled.

Dan put a twenty on the table and left. Leo and Piper watched him leave, then turned to each other.

"Home?" Piper asked, right before Leo looked skyward. "Or not."

"Sorry, sweetie. I'll see you at home." he stated sadly.

"At least walk me to my car?" she held his hand tighter.

"Sure." he smiled.

_o_

When Piper arrived home, Cole and Phoebe were in the living room watching TV. Piper walked into the living room and plopped herself on the chair across from them.

"What's wrong, honey?" Phoebe asked.

"You would not believe who came by today." Piper sighed.

"Dad? Darryl? Any inspectors?" Phoebe guessed.

"Oh, no. They would have been easier to deal with." Piper said.

"Who was it?" Phoebe asked anxiously.

"Dan." Piper got up and walked out of the living room.

"What!" Phoebe jumped up and followed her sister into the kitchen.

"Yeah." Piper opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "He just showed up."

"What did Leo say?" Phoebe asked as Piper took a sip of water.

"Well, he was mad about it even though he swears he's not. I know him. I know how much he hates Dan." Piper replied.

"So, what happened?" Phoebe asked.

"Let's see. Leo and I were making lunch, well, messing around trying to make lunch, then the doorbell rang, so we went to answer it. Dan was standing there and asked to catch up. So, since we had no lunch, we went out to eat. It was sort of awkward being with my husband and ex-boyfriend at the same time like that. So, anyway, Dan had to leave early and Leo got called away." Piper sat at the island with Phoebe. "So I came home."

"Wow. That's a lot." Phoebe laughed. "Do you think Dan has a motive?"

"Why would he have a motive? I'm with Leo. And even if he did, no one, not even Dan could come between my husband and me." Piper said.

"You have such a fun love life." Phoebe laughed.

"Oh, yes. I love the fact that my ex-lover has come back to recapture my heart while I'm married to another guy. I sure hope Dan succeeds." Piper joked.

"Well, at least you'll get it good in bed." Phoebe raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Hey!" Piper slapped her sister's arm. "Leo is doing just fine in that department."

"I'm just messing with ya!" Phoebe smiled. "But really. Who's better?"

"Phoebe! I'm not gonna tell you!" Piper laughed.

"Come on! Was it a big sacrifice giving up Dan?" Phoebe asked, propping her head up with her hands.

Piper looked at Phoebe for a second, then broke out into grin.

"You really want to know?" Piper asked.

"Yes!" Phoebe smiled.

"Okay. Dan was amazing in bed. He knows how to get the job done. It was incredible." Piper replied.

"So, Dan is the better pleaser?" Phoebe's eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah? Is he?" a voice came from the kitchen doorway.

The girls jumped and looked towards the door. There stood Leo with his arms folded over his chest and a furious look on his face. Phoebe looked between the two, then down at the island counter. Piper just continued to stare at her husband, completely embarrassed and shocked that Leo heard her.

"Leo…" was all she could say.

**Good? Bad? REVIEW! Thanks guys.**


	4. The Close To Normal Life

**Before I continue on with the story, I would like to make it known that the personalities of these characters are a little different then on the actual show. For instance, Cole is still a demon, but he's turned good. We all know that. A difference in my story is he and Leo are best friends. They get along like brothers. Also, Prue has no issues with Cole. And Piper and Leo's relationship is a little less old-fashioned, but still very romantic. Those are just some examples. Anyway, read on!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed. Blah blah blah.**

_Previously on Passion:_

"_So, Dan is the better pleaser?" Phoebe's eyes widened in shock._

"_Yeah? Is he?" a voice came from the kitchen doorway._

_The girls jumped and looked towards the door. There stood Leo with his arms folded over his chest and a furious look on his face. Phoebe looked between the two, then down at the island counter. Piper just continued to stare at her husband, completely embarrassed and shocked that Leo heard her._

"_Leo…" was all she could say._

_o_

Leo shook his head and left the kitchen.

"No! Leo, wait!" Piper jumped up and ran after him.

Cole who was sitting in the living room watching TV saw Leo walk out the front door with Piper right behind him. He watched in confusion as Phoebe came into the living room. She sighed and fell onto the couch beside Cole.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"It's a long story." Phoebe shook her head, but silently prayed everything works out.

_o_

"Leo! Leo, come on!" Piper shouted as she followed him down the stairs leading down to the sidewalk.

Leo continued walking, as if he had somewhere to go. He didn't know what he was doing, but all he knew was that it hurt deeply to hear Piper yammer on about how great Dan was in bed. It reminded him of the fight they had just yesterday. Did Piper _really_ want Dan back?

"Damn it, Leo! I mean it this time!" Piper ran up to him and jumped onto his back.

"What the hell, Piper?" he yelled.

"Finally! You talked to me." she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Why should I?" he asked, angrily.

"Because there's no reason why you shouldn't." she argued.

"Piper, get off me." he said, losing his patience.

"No. Not until you listen." she said.

"What do you want me to listen to? Huh? How great Dan is in bed? How incredible he made you feel? How his damn hands were all over you?" Leo clenched his teeth.

"No! If you had just waited another minute, you would have heard me say that even though Dan was great, you are better. You would have heard me say how unbelievable you make me feel and how I love _your_ hands on me. Leo, you take me to heaven, literally." Piper replied. "It was no sacrifice giving up Dan."

Leo didn't say anything, which made Piper nervous. He just stood there, motionless. Piper sighed.

"Well, I said what I needed to say. You're free to leave now." she climbed off his back and turned back to the house.

Suddenly, Piper felt him grab her arm and spin her around. She felt herself being pulled against Leo and his lips on hers in a sensual kiss. His right hand rested on her back as the left cupped her neck. Piper held him by his arms as they kissed.

"I'll take that as your apology." she said as they broke apart.

Leo didn't say anything. He captured her lips in a kiss again. He pulled her arms up to link around his neck and grabbed the back of her thighs, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist. Piper moaned a little into his mouth, feeling the closeness of him. Leo carried her back into the house, with her still in his arms and kissing. As they walked in, they broke apart the kiss. Cole and Phoebe looked up from the TV to see Leo carrying Piper into the house with her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. Phoebe slapped Cole on the arm.

"Why can't you be more like Leo?" she asked in a jealous tone.

"Oww!" Cole looked shocked.

As Leo carried Piper up the stairs, he thought about how ridiculous he'd been acting. If he had stayed just another minute in the kitchen, he would have known Piper wouldn't try to hurt him. They reached their bedroom and Leo set Piper on the bed.

"Piper," he sat next to her. "I'm an idiot."

"What are you talking about?" she chuckled.

"I'm the reason things are so screwed up between us." he looked down at the floor. "I'm always assuming the worst and then I take it out on you. I shouldn't do that. You don't deserve someone who is always questioning whether you want to be with them or not. I promise you'll get what you deserve if-"

"No. Stop talking like that." she shook her head. "I don't want to hear you say that again. Ever."

"I want you to be happy, Piper." Leo said quietly, but loud enough for her to hear him.

"I am happy! I've never been happier. All that you give me is worth the fighting." Piper held onto his hand with one of hers and turned his face to her with the other. "Leo, you are the only one I want. You need to know that I'm only me when I'm with you. I love you. Please, don't ever think of leaving me."

Leo looked into Piper's eyes. All he could see was the truth. He smiled and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Come on. You can do better than that." she smiled.

He just laughed and pulled her into a deep, long kiss.

_o_

The phone rang a few times.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dan." Piper said.

"Piper, hi." he replied. "What's up?"

"Umm, My sisters and I are throwing a little party. I was wondering if you would like to join us. Nothing fancy, just a get together." she said.

"A party? Uh, sure. When?" he asked.

"Wednesday. 7pm. Will you be able to make it?" she answered.

"Wednesday it is. I'll be there." Dan smiled.

"Alright. I'll see you then. Bye." she said.

"Bye."

Piper turned to her sisters, who were sitting at the dining room table.

"Dan's coming." Piper set the phone on the table.

"Piper, are you sure about that?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I mean, Leo and Dan? The last time that happened-" Prue was interrupted.

"Was yesterday." Piper intervened. "The three of us went out to lunch."

"And how well did that go?" Phoebe said, accusingly.

"Hold it. How come I didn't know at all?" Prue was shocked.

"It went just fine. After lunch was the hard part." Piper turned to Prue. "Leo, Dan, and I went out to lunch to catch up on stuff. It was okay, Dan seems to be doing fine, and he knows Leo and I are going strong."

"But still. Are you sure inviting him to the party is a good idea?" Prue asked.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have invited him." Piper turned towards the kitchen and walked away.

Prue and Phoebe exchanged looks.

_o_

It was Wednesday evening, and the sisters were bustling around the house, trying to get ready for the party. Piper was busy in the kitchen cooking for the party, while Prue and Phoebe were tidying up around the house. Before they knew it, 7 o'clock rolled around and the guests started arriving.

Prue was wearing a slinky, lime green dress that ended just before her knees. It had spaghetti straps and hugged her body nicely. She wore lime green strap heels, the appropriate jewelry, and her hair was loosely crimped. Phoebe wore a fitted, pale orange dress that flowed down below her knees. It was a halter top and hung low in the front. It was decorated with silver sequins in the front and along the sides, which went nicely with her silver strap heels. All she needed was diamond earrings and a nice bracelet. Her hair was pulled up in an exotic twist. Piper looked beautiful in a fitted, black, strapless dress that stopped a little above her knees. It hugged all her curves wonderfully. She wore black strap heels, silver earrings, her diamond necklace, and a thick, black bracelet on her right wrist. Her hair was straight and falling freely down her back.

"Has anybody seen Leo?" Piper asked walking into the foyer, where her sisters stood, greeting the guests as they came in.

"No, wasn't he supposed to be here, uh, a half hour ago?" Phoebe replied glancing at her watch.

"Exactly why I'm starting to get worried." Piper huffed with concerned eyes.

"Don't worry. He'll be here soon." Prue wrapped an arm around her younger sister in an attempt to comfort her.

Just then, Dan walked in the door. He made his way towards the sisters.

"Good evening, Ladies." he smiled.

"Hi, Dan." Prue and Phoebe smiled.

"Hey, you didn't bring a date?" Piper asked with a smile.

"Nah, it's just me. I see you have no date, either." he returned the smile.

"My date is running a little late." Piper chuckled. "Umm, I'm going to see what's taking him so long and you can make yourself comfortable."

The sisters and Dan went their separate ways. They all went to mingle, except for Piper, who ran upstairs to her bedroom.

"Leo!" she called as she opened the bedroom door and walked in. "Leo, please!"

A few seconds later, Leo appeared in their room. He grinned when he saw Piper looking gorgeous.

"Wow, you look great." he complimented, making her blush.

"Honey, where have you been? You're late!" Piper placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, but I was in a meeting with the Elders. Since they had me working around the clock the past two days and today, I asked for tonight and tomorrow off. It took a lot of persuading, which is why I'm late." he walked over to her and pulled her gently against him. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven," she wrapped her arms around his waist. "If you can get ready in like five minutes, because people are expecting you downstairs."

Leo smiled and kissed her gently on the lips before moving to the closet to get dressed. Piper helped him pick out a deep green, silk, button-down shirt with black slacks. She had fun helping him get dressed. Her helping him was supposed to speed things up, but it only delayed time further as Piper kept touching his chest and kissing his neck as she buttoned his shirt, while Leo continued to glide his hands along the curves of her body and kissing her neck. Once he was dressed, Leo sprayed some cologne on; the one that always drove Piper crazy and turned her on a little. Finally, he was ready and the couple walked downstairs to the party holding hands.

"Hey, stranger." Prue smiled as she, Phoebe, and Cole walked up to the staircase.

"Hey." Leo smiled.

"Where've you been?" Phoebe asked.

"A meeting with the Elders. But it's over and now I'm here to have fun." Leo said as he swung an arm around Piper's shoulders.

"Good." Piper nodded. "So let's go."

Leo and Cole went over to the guys and chatted for a bit while the girls went to mingle with the ladies. As time went by, Piper spotted Dan and Leo in the conservatory. She grabbed her sisters and made her way to the guys.

"Hey, how's it going?" Piper asked.

"It's going good. How are you guys?" Leo asked with a smile.

"We're fine." Piper smiled back.

The group stood in a circle. Phoebe and Cole stood next to each other, with Prue on Phoebe's left, Leo standing next to her, Dan standing next to him, and Piper standing in between him and Cole.

"Hey, I have an idea." Dan smiled. "Let's play a game."

"Ooh, I'm up to it." Phoebe smiled.

"Let's play truth or dare." Dan said.

"Uh, no. let's not play that game." Piper waved it off.

"Come on, Piper." Dan placed a hand on her lower back. "Have some fun."

Piper saw Leo tense up when Dan laid his hand on her.

"Fine." Piper smiled, walking over to Leo and wrapping her arm around his waist.

Leo placed his arm around her shoulders, and smiled to himself. Piper now stood between Leo and Dan. Prue took it upon herself to stand between Piper and Dan, so nothing else would happen.

"Okay, who's up first?" Dan looked around.

"Cole." Phoebe smiled.

"Oh joy." Cole said sarcastically.

"Truth or dare?" Phoebe asked.

"Uh, truth?" Cole spoke, unsure of his decision.

"How many girls have you been with?" Phoebe asked with a smirk.

"Uh," Cole felt uneasy. "Honestly?"

"Honestly." Phoebe nodded.

The girls snickered as the group waited for the answer.

"Okay. When I was in high school, I was pretty much a ladies' man." Cole answered. "So, pretty much the whole school."

"Nice one." Leo high-fived him.

"Don't encourage him!" Piper playfully slapped his chest.

Leo smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Okay, Leo, you're turn!" Cole smirked.

"Pass." Leo laughed.

"No, you gotta go." Piper said.

"Yeah, truth or dare, man?" Cole asked.

"Truth." Leo said after some hesitance.

"What is one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to you?" Cole smiled.

"Hmm." Leo thought for a moment. "Well, I just or-" the whole group tensed up as Leo was about to blow their secret to Dan. "I just walked into Piper's bedroom and thought I saw her kneeling in her closet…"

Everyone relaxed when Leo covered up his mistake. Phoebe let out a little laugh as she knew what he was talking about. Piper tried to recall this memory, but couldn't.

"So, I bent down to whisper in her ear, something kind of dirty. Then all of a sudden, Phoebe stands up and replies to my comment. I swore I could have died right there from humiliation." Leo laughed.

Phoebe blushed as Piper gasped with a smile.

"And how come I never knew about this?" Piper asked.

"It was between me and Phoebe, until now." Leo answered.

"Now that I wish I could have seen." Cole laughed.

"Haha." Leo lightly punched him in the arm.

"Okay, are we going in an order, or can I go?" Dan asked.

"You can go." Prue said.

"Piper," Dan smiled.

Piper was smiling and whispering to Leo about something when she heard her name.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Truth or dare?" Dan asked.

"Dare." Piper smiled.

"Whoa, first one to say dare." Dan laughed. "Alright, I dare you to…"

Leo did not like where this was going. He didn't know exactly what Dan would dare her to do, but already he did not like it.

"I dare you to go up to Derek and flirt with him." Dan pointed to a man on the other side of the room. "He's had a crush on you for years, and that would make his night."

Piper thought about it for a moment. She smiled and untangled herself from Leo.

"Alright." she said. "But, if I'm doing it, Prue and Phoebe should come with me."

Piper grabbed both her sisters and pulled them across the room, while they quietly protested. They gave in by the time they got to Derek. Prue and Phoebe hung onto his arms while Piper stood in front of him and ran her hands lightly across his chest as she played with her hair. They talked to him while the guys watched.

"Look at them." Cole laughed.

"I know. Look at Derek's face. He's totally enjoying that." Dan chuckled.

"Now's he the most envied guy at the party." Leo smiled.

The girls walk away giggling like mad, until they reach the guys, where they burst into laughter.

"He was _really_ excited to be with us." Piper laughed.

"Poor guy. We played with his heart." Phoebe shook her head.

"It was for a good cause." Dan smiled.

The party continued with random conversations, drinking, eating, and truth or dare. It was quite an eventful night. Soon, the girls start seeing their guests on their way out at the end of the night.

"I had a really great time, Piper." Dan said as she walked him out.

"Me, too. Thank you for coming and not making Leo angry." she smiled.

"You're welcome." he chuckled. "So, I'll see you around."

"Yeah." she answered.

Dan hugged her and then left. Piper walked back into the house, not expecting what was to come.

**Well, there you have it. Yes, it was quite a long chapter. But, I figured I'd do that for you guys since you waited so long. Thanks for reading. Please review.**


	5. Sometimes Funny Can Scare

**Without further delay, here's chapter five! Please enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed. Too bad though, I could've had some fun with it.**

It's been a little over a week since the party. Life was just as it always was; normal routines that the girls do, along with a few demons to make things just a little more hectic.

Piper and Phoebe were in the conservatory. Phoebe was on her laptop, doing research for a paper that was due the following week.

"Man, why does college have to be so hard?" Phoebe groaned.

"Come on, Pheebs. Cheer up, college ain't that bad. You want challenging? Try owning a club." Piper said.

"Trust me, I would do that over this right now." Phoebe replied.

"That is until you do it." Piper said.

Phoebe closed her laptop and threw her books aside. She looked at Piper, who was going over some paperwork for the club.

"Piper?" Phoebe spoke.

"Hmm?" Piper answered without looking up.

"Entertain me." Phoebe smiled.

Piper looked up at her baby sister with a confused look on her face.

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Piper asked with a slight smile.

"I don't know." Phoebe shrugged. "But I'm bored and I want a break from homework. So, entertain me."

"Phoebe, I'm not entertaining. You've got the wrong sister. Go find Prue." Piper turned her attention back to her papers.

"Fine." Phoebe got up and went into the kitchen.

All of a sudden, Prue and Phoebe coming running into the conservatory.

"What the hell, you guys?" Piper yelled.

"Darklighter!" Prue shouted.

Piper quickly looked up and saw a tall, muscular guy running after her sisters. _Good thing Leo isn't here._ Piper thought.

She jumped up and was about to freeze him when he grabbed her and pulled her to him.

"Piper!" Phoebe yelled.

The darklighter held an arrow up to Piper, looking as if he was about to stab her with it. Piper was freaking out, but tried to hide it. Prue waved her hand and the arrow flew out of the dark lighter's.

"I don't want to kill her." the darklighter spoke. "I want to have her."

Piper's breath hitched in fear.

"Over my dead body." Prue growled.

Before anything else could happen, Cole walked in.

"Hey everybody." he smiled.

Everyone looked at him. Cole noticed the darklighter.

"Oh, hey. How ya doin'?" he asked with a smile.

"Pretty good. You?" the darklighter smiled back.

"Not bad, not bad." Cole looked around. "So what's going on?"

"What the hell does it look like?" Phoebe yelled.

"Well, it looks like this darklighter wants Piper." Cole answered, then turned to the darklighter. "I gotta say, nice choice. Prue isn't for you and well, Phoebe's mine."

"Cole! What is the matter with you?" Prue asked.

"Nothing." Cole answered.

"Well, I would love to chat, but I got stuff to do." the darklighter swung Piper around, coming face to face with her.

"Get your hands off me!" Piper squirmed, trying to break loose.

"Oh, come on now. Don't be like that." the darklighter said. "If you don't love me, I'll kill you."

"Oh, don't be so harsh." Cole smiled. "After all, you couldn't kill her for anything."

"Yeah, true. I love her too much." the darklighter smiled at Piper.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe looked between the two guys. Piper looked into the darklighter's eyes. She saw something that deeply angered her.

"I can't believe you!" Piper shouted.

"Come on, man. Jig's up." Cole laughed.

Suddenly, the darklighter turned into Leo. The guys burst into laughter at the sight of the girls' faces.

"That was so not funny!" Prue yelled, but started smiling.

"You know that was funny." Cole chuckled. "You should have seen your faces throughout the whole thing. It was hilarious!"

"Well, it was entertaining." Phoebe smiled.

"I'm sorry I scared you guys, but we were bored and thought we'd have some fun." Leo smiled.

"I gotta say, that was pretty impressive. Glamouring into someone else. I wish I could do that." Prue smiled.

"It is one of my favorite parts of being a whitelighter." Leo smiled.

Everyone was quiet for a second, then Piper walked out of the room. Leo frowned. He upset her. He followed her out.

"Oh, boy." Phoebe mumbled.

"Yup." Prue sighed.

"I still think that was funny." Cole spoke.

_o_

"Piper. Come on, it was a joke." Leo stated as he followed her up the stairs.

Piper didn't say anything. She just continued walking until she stepped into their bedroom. She abruptly turned to him.

"Do you know that I thought I was going to die just now?" Piper snapped. "Do you know who was on my mind during that whole thing? You! I thought I'd never see my husband after that. I thought that was the end of me. But no, it was some cruel joke. You think it's funny to mess with my emotions like that?"

Now Leo felt really guilty for the prank he pulled. He didn't mean to scare her that badly. He just wanted to have a little fun.

"Piper, I'm so sorry that I hurt you. It was supposed to be a harmless prank." he stepped towards her, but she just took a step back.

"Well, too bad your definition of harmless is different than mine." she said bitterly.

Before Leo could answer, he heard the familiar jingle. He looked skyward and heard Piper huff in anger.

"Go. I don't care." Piper said, then walked out of the bedroom.

Leo sighed and orbed to the heavens.

_o_

"Do you think I got too angry?" Piper asked her sisters.

Prue and Phoebe were sitting at the island in the kitchen, watching Piper cook.

"Well, they were just trying to have some fun." Phoebe tried to reason.

"Yeah, but if you did something like that, I bet he wouldn't be too happy, either." Prue stated.

"True." Phoebe said.

"Yeah, I mean, I get that they were bored, but that was pretty extreme. Especially, if we could get attacked at any minute, and now I'm not sure if it will really be a demon the next time or not." Piper tossed the vegetables into the sauce pan.

"I agree. But I honestly doubt they'll pull another stunt like that again." Phoebe said. "I know Cole won't, or I'm shutting down pantyville."

"That's not a bad idea." Piper chuckled. "Alright, I overreacted. I'm not angry anymore. But, don't tell him that. I want to see him suffer."

"My, Piper. When did you become so evil?" Prue laughed.

"Around the same time that damn man started getting under my skin." Piper grinned.

Piper finished cooking dinner about the time Cole shimmered in. The four sat down in the dining room and ate their dinner with small talk here and there. Not too long after, Leo orbed in.

"Sorry I'm late." he said, walking over to the table. "The Elders were babbling about one of their theories."

"What about this time?" Prue asked, before taking a bite out of her food.

"Well, there's some kind of power surge in the underworld. Demons teaming up with other demons, some darklighters, any evil entity with a high power. Only problem, the Elders don't know what their plan is." Leo explained while taking a seat next to Piper.

"I can shimmer down there and see what all the fuss is about." Cole suggested.

"Just be careful." Phoebe said with concern.

"I will, I promise." Cole kissed her softly.

Dinner continued with more conversation. Leo kept stealing glances at Piper, but she acted as if he wasn't there. It was so hard for him to sit there, knowing that she was angry at him.

Piper tried really hard to ignore him and pretend he didn't mean a thing, when all she wanted to do was lean over and kiss him, letting him know she wasn't mad. But no, she wanted him to feel guilty. To be honest, it was pretty fun to mess with him like that.

After a dessert of crème brû·lée, the five cleaned up the dining room and the kitchen. Prue went to the club to meet a date, Phoebe and Cole went to see a movie, and Leo disappeared, leaving Piper alone in the Manor. Even though Piper wasn't mad at Leo anymore, she was kind of glad he wasn't in the house. She liked when she was alone, because she could do whatever she wanted.

Piper walked into the conservatory, and turned on the radio. One of her favorite songs came on. She grinned and started dancing to Tonight by Enrique Iglesias. She wined up her body to the music and sang along with the words. Unbeknownst to her, Leo had been there watching her. After a while, he stepped into her line of vision and she froze in place, too embarrassed to move, or speak. He walked over to the radio, turned up the volume a little, and then walked over to her. He grabbed her by her waist, and pulled her against him. Leo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Dance for me, Piper." he whispered.

She blushed and placed her hands on his shoulder. A new song blasted on the radio, and Piper began rocking her hips against him. She stared into his eyes as she swayed to the music. He stared back with just as much intensity as she did. Piper pressed her body tighter against his. Leo lifted his right hand from her waist and cupped her neck. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Piper held his head to hers by holding the back of his neck and moved her lips against his. Their kissing led to making out, so Leo orbed them up to their room. He closed the door and roughly pressed her up against it, making her moan. He pinned her hands on each side of her head, and kissed down her neck towards her cleavage. Piper laced her fingers through his. Leo kissed her on the lips passionately as he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. They peeled each other's clothes off and positioned themselves.

"I love you, Leo." Piper whispered.

Leo's heart swelled every time he heard her say that. He grabbed her face and kissed her.

"I love you, too." he mumbled against her lips.

And Leo proved it over and over again until the early hours of the morning.

_o_

Piper woke up the next morning, in the arms of her husband. She turned in around to face him, both laying on their sides. Leo, feeling the movement, tightened his grip on her. She smiled at his resistance to let her go, even in his sleep. Piper snuggled closer to him and placed a chaste kiss on his chest. A pair of lips touched her forehead.

"Good morning, honey." he mumbled.

"Morning." she smiled.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Most definitely." she grinned, and snuggled closer to him. "You?"

"Only when I'm with you." he smiled.

"I never know what to say when you say things like that." Piper said.

"You don't have to say anything." he kissed her head.

_o_

Later that day, the five members of the household sat in the living room, going over what they found out about the demonic power surge.

"Well, according to the book, there are two reasons why a power surge would take place. One, is to become invincible. Untouchable to any paragon of good." Phoebe read from the book of shadows.

"And? What's the second reason?" Piper asked.

"To take out the Source. To appoint a new leader, and become the highest power." Cole answered. "In order to do that, demons need to pool every ounce of power they can."

"So, is that why we've been demon-light lately?" Prue asked. "Because they can't afford to lose any demons?"

"Yes." Cole nodded. "But as soon as the Source is gone, a coronation ceremony takes place, sealing the transformation of the new source, and then demons are all out on a huge witch hunt. First place is awarded the Source's right-hand man."

"And let me guess. The trophy is our heads on platter?" Piper asked with mock excitement.

"Killing the Charmed Ones is automatic right to the Source's inner circle. Every demon will be in this house trying to destroy you." Cole spoke.

"That's just beautiful." Piper sighed.

"Yeah, well, to prevent that from happening," Leo chimed in. "You have to take out the first group of demons trying to vanquish the Source."

"Yeah, send a message to the others saying it's not worth their lives to become the new Source." Cole said.

"Nice message." Phoebe smiled. "But how do you suppose we vanquish the first group?"

"That's where our smarts come in." Prue smiled.

They all smiled and got started on a plan to take out the one person they never expected to see.

**And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading, and I hope to see some reviews!**


	6. Careful the Things You Don't Remember

**Alright, here's chapter 6. This chapter is kind of bland to me, but maybe you guys will like it. Please, enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Charmed, so stop asking.**

A few hours later, the Charmed Ones concocted a plan with the help of Leo and Cole. They gathered information about the demonic group, tracked them down, made some potions for protection, and figured out how to attack.

"Alright. Are we all set?" Prue asked, looking around at everyone.

"Yup." Phoebe answered, bottling up the last of the potions.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Piper mumbled as she helped Phoebe.

The guys just gave a nod. They gathered up their defenses and courage, and were on their way. Cole shimmered into the underworld, followed by Leo with the girls.

"Alright." Prue said. "Places everybody."

Everyone nodded and hid in different places. Not much time had passed before a group of demons walked through the cave; the girls started attacking and kicking ass. The demons were caught off guard, but started fighting back. One demon shimmered out immediately. Another one that Piper was fighting, throw her hard against a wall, and she took a blow to her head, knocking her unconscious. Some of the demons escaped, but the girls got the rest of them.

"Not bad." Cole smiled.

"Yeah, nice work, ladies." Leo nodded his head with a smile.

"Piper." Phoebe ran to her sister's side, with Prue right behind her.

Phoebe placed Piper's head in her lap, gently shaking her.

"Leo, she's not waking up!" Phoebe looked at him, tears falling down her cheeks.

Leo was already at his wife's side, trying to heal her. It wasn't working, though.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Leo mumbled as he gently put his arms around Piper and pulled her into his arms. "Let's get back to the manor."

Leo was already orbing home with Piper. Cole took Prue and Phoebe.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Prue asked as Leo kept trying to heal her.

"I don't know." he said.

All of a sudden, Piper started stirring. Leo smiled a little and finished healing her. She groaned and placed her hands on her head.

"Oh, what happened?" Piper asked.

"Piper, thank god." Leo kissed her forehead.

He felt her tense up, so he pulled away. He looked into her eyes, and all he saw was confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Leo swore his heart stopped. He didn't know what to say.

"Piper?" Phoebe said. "It's Leo."

"Who?" Piper looked at her sisters.

"Leo! You're husband." Prue said.

"Husband?" Piper sat up on the couch. "What about Jeremy? He's my fiancé."

"Jeremy?" Prue asked in shock.

"Piper," Phoebe sat next to her and took her hand. "Jeremy's gone. We vanquished him."

"Vanquished him?" Piper looked at her sister in utter confusion.

"Yeah. Three years ago. Remember? He was a warlock and we had to vanquish him. He tried to kill you." Prue said as she took the seat on the other side of Piper.

"What? Jeremy wouldn't hurt me. He's not a warlock and what the hell is a 'vanquish'?" Piper was completely confused.

"Piper, what is the last thing you remember?" Prue asked.

"I remember I was running home to start cooking dinner because you were coming home," Piper nodded towards Phoebe. "and it was raining. And then Prue was trying to fix the chandelier and then we argued about you coming home."

Piper stared at Phoebe, then at Prue. She noticed differences in their appearances. Prue's hair had grown out and her clothes were more casual than the business attire Piper remembers. Phoebe's hair was blonder and longer. Her clothes were a little more showy than before.

"Piper, that was three years ago. The night I came home from New York. So much has changed since then." Phoebe said.

"I can see that." Piper chuckled. "You guys look really different than the last time I saw you."

"It's been years." Prue said.

"Does anything else seem familiar?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, the house looks the same." Piper looked around. "And I know you guys. But I can't remember anything else."

Piper looked at Cole, then at Leo. Neither had said a word since Piper began talking. She stared at Leo for a moment. He looked sad. Her forehead creased as she stood up from the couch. She walked over to where he was kneeling on the floor a few feet away. They locked gazes as Leo slowly stood up. They never looked away from each other. Piper tried to remember him, but she couldn't. Leo could see it in her eyes.

"It's okay." he whispered.

Leo gently touched her cheek, which brought tears to her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered.

"No it's not." she sobbed. "I don't remember anything from the past three years. Nothing." Piper said.

"Don't worry, we'll help you remember." Phoebe said.

Piper didn't say anything. She just shook her head and walked away into the kitchen. Everyone stood silent.

"What do we do?" Cole asked.

"We try to help her remember." Prue stood up from her seat, and walked over to Leo. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Leo slightly smiled. "We'll get through this."

"Yeah. So, how are we going to fix this?" Phoebe asked.

"We just have to help her remember." Leo said.

Everyone just nodded.

Piper sat in the kitchen. It was like someone came and wiped a chunk out of her life. Like time stopped right after the night Phoebe moved back home. Piper heard someone enter the kitchen. She turned around to look at him. He was very attractive with his tall demeanor and dazzling green eyes. He was well-built, too. She wondered how she ended up with him and not Phoebe.

"I know you don't remember me, but I want to help you." Leo said, walking over to her.

"Okay." Piper nodded.

"Okay, but you need to come back into the living room. There's a lot you need to know." he smiled.

Piper just nodded. The way he looked at her and the way he smiled made her thoughts jumble. He held out his hand, and Piper hesitantly took it. He led her back to the others. Piper sat back down on the couch with Phoebe on her left, Prue sitting on the coffee table in front of her, Leo sitting on the armrest on the right side of her, and Cole sitting on the chair across from the couch.

"Okay, so we're gonna help you remember. Ask questions, and we'll answer." Phoebe smiled.

"Okay." Piper smiled, Phoebe was always so optimistic. "Do I still work at Quake?"

"No. You got fed up with that place. You know own a club. It's the hottest one in San Francisco, called P3." Prue answered.

Piper nodded in understanding. She continued to ask questions about the past three years. From what she gathered, she owned a club; Prue quit her job at Buckland's and became a photographer; Prue was currently single; Phoebe had gone back to college and was dating Cole, who was sitting there just listening; Cole was a ex-demon; Piper and her sisters were witches, descendants of a family of witches; they are the Charmed ones; they save innocents and vanquish evil; and they had vanquished Jeremy because he was a warlock and tried to kill the girls.

"Wow." Piper said.

"And that was just the cliff notes version." Phoebe joked.

"Well, my memory better come back quick because that's too much to handle all at once." Piper chuckled.

She turned to Leo. Prue and Phoebe wanted him to explain their relationship to her.

"And what about you?" she asked.

"Me?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. What's the story about us?" Piper asked.

"Well, do you want the cliff notes version, or the whole story?" Leo asked with his heart-stopping smile.

"Uh, the whole story." she recollected her thoughts.

"Well, we met three years ago, a few weeks after you became witches. I pretended to be a handyman. I am a whitelighter, which are sort of guardians for witches, and I had to assemble myself into your lives without blowing my cover. The moment I saw you, I couldn't stop thinking about you." Leo smiled, making Piper blush. "The more time I spent here with you guys, I felt like family. You and Phoebe had this little competition over me." Leo laughed.

"Of course I had to fight Phoebe for you." Piper scoffed glancing over at Phoebe.

"Although she is attractive, you stood out more to me. You are so beautiful and smart and funny and kind." Leo said.

Piper looked away blushing crimson. Prue, Phoebe, and Cole decided to leave and give them some privacy. Leo slid onto the couch next to Piper and continued his story.

"Eventually, we kissed for the first time, went on our first date, made love for the first time…" Piper blushed even deeper. "…And from then, our relationship was forbidden."

Piper's forehead creased in confusion. Leo took a deep breath and began speaking again.

"See, witches and whitelighters are not supposed to be together. It was forbidden for centuries, but that didn't keep me from falling in love with you. After you found out that I was an angel, you were pissed at me, but you admitted that you love me. I was ecstatic to hear that. But, our magical jobs started getting in the way and I had to be gone for weeks at a time and I didn't want to keep putting you through that, no matter how much I loved you. So, you ended up meeting a guy, named Dan. He was great to you. He was there when you needed him, but he didn't know about you being a witch. You deserved someone who could love you right and give you everything you need. If you didn't love me, then you would be so much more happier." Leo sighed.

He looked down and shook his head. If Piper had her memory, she would probably tell him that she didn't want anyone but him. He wanted to hear her say that so badly.

"Anyway, I ended up coming back to you, but you were Dan and I fought him for your affection. All throughout our relationship, it's been complicated, but I kept trying. One day, we were at your club and you told me that you really loved me instead of Dan and I could have died a happy man." Piper smiled at that. "We were together for a while before the Elders, who are like promoted whitelighters who warn the magical community of danger and things like that, told us that we had to break up. I asked you to marry me and after some hesitance, you accepted. We ended up getting married and we've been happy since. We fight occasionally, but we love each other."

Leo observed Piper's face expression. He looked into her eyes for an entry to her mind.

"Whoa. We've been through a lot." Piper was shocked.

Leo laughed and gently took her hand, playing with her fingers.

"Yeah, and I would do it all again, just for you." he said sincerely.

"You went through all that for me." Piper sighed. "You are the perfect man."

"Not even close." Leo blushed.

"You are. And even if I don't remember, I know I'm lucky to have married you." she smiled.

"Well, now you know most of what you missed." Leo leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. "And since you barely know me at the current moment, we can start again. I won't pressure you into anything."

"You see? You are perfect. We're married, but you're not pushing me to be affectionate with you like I'm supposed to." Piper smiled.

"Well, I want you to feel comfortable with me first. Like, we just started dating. I will take things as slow as you want." he said.

"I already do feel comfortable with you. Maybe a subconscious thing. But, I want to spend more time with you." Piper said shyly.

"Sweetie, you don't have to be nervous around me." Leo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Piper momentarily stopped breathing. His touch electrified her. He was so sweet and kind and downright handsome. She couldn't believe he was hers. She was never lucky in love, but at that very moment, she couldn't feel any luckier.

"Leo?" Piper said quietly.

"Yes?" he looked at her.

"Kiss me." she let her eyes travel down to his lips.

"Are you sure?" he asked in concern.

Piper nodded and closed her eyes as he slowly leaned toward her. Their lips met in a gentle, yet mind-boggling kiss. Piper felt as if she was floating. Leo pulled away and smiled. Piper pulled him back to her in a more sensual kiss, surprising him. The way their lips moved in unison, the way he tasted, it all felt familiar to Piper.

**Yeah, I know. This was an iffy chapter. But, it does help the upcoming chapters, though. I hope I'm doing okay with this story. Please review. Thanks, guys.**


	7. Patience is a Virtue

**Alright, here's chapter 7!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Charmed, so stop asking.**

Later that night, Piper was in the kitchen making dinner. Prue and Phoebe sat at the kitchen table, just watching her.

"She looks like nothing happened." Phoebe spoke quietly. "Like she has all her memory back."

"Yeah. How long do you think it will take for her to recover her memory?" Prue asked in the same hushed tone.

Phoebe's eyes followed Piper around the kitchen, who was bustling with pans and various dishes.

"Honestly, I don't know." Phoebe sighed.

At dinner, everyone was quiet. No one knew what to say, seeing as Piper wouldn't remember anything recent. Dinner was quite a drag. Piper looked around at everyone. She wondered why they were all so quiet.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Phoebe smiled slightly.

"Everyone is so quiet. Why?" Piper asked.

"Well honey, we don't want you to feel left out. After all, anything we talk about, you won't remember." Prue tried to explain.

"Oh," Piper said quietly.

It was quiet again. It was awkward to say anything. Finally, Piper spoke again.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"For what?" Leo asked, placing a hand on Piper's back.

"I'm sorry this happened. I feel like I'm making it difficult for everyone." Piper sighed.

"Piper, it's not your fault." Prue said. "You'll get your memory back soon."

"When?" Tears formed in Piper's eyes. "I feel like I'm missing so much."

"It's going to be okay." Cole tried.

Everyone was quiet once again. After dinner, Cole and Phoebe went straight to bed. Prue had to show Piper her room since they had switched rooms when Piper got married. Prue went to sleep a while after. Leo wasn't sure what the sleeping arrangements were, seeing as how Piper barely knew him. He made a decision as he saw Piper walking around their room, trying to remember where she put everything.

"Piper?" Leo stood in the doorway of their bedroom.

"Hmm?" she looked up at him from her dresser.

"I, uh, I think I'll go sleep on the couch." he said.

"Why?" Piper asked in confusion.

"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep in the same bed with you when you barely know me." he replied.

"But, you're my husband." she said. "This is where you should be sleeping."

Leo walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a slight squeeze.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I may be your husband, but you lost all memory of me. I don't want you to feel forced into anything with me." Leo looked into her eyes.

Piper looked up at this man. He was flawless. He made her feel like she was the greatest thing in the world. He was too good to be true. Piper tiptoed up to Leo and gently kissed him.

"I don't feel uncomfortable or forced." she looked into his eyes. "Can you at least stay with me, until I fall asleep? And you can try to help me remember things."

"That sounds good." he smiled and kissed her forehead.

Leo helped Piper remember where she had things, such as her clothes, her toiletries, anything she used on a daily basis. Piper went into their bathroom to change her clothes. She was a little shy to undress in front of Leo. When she was done, she walked back into the room to find Leo shirtless. Her breath caught in her throat. His upper body was incredibly sexy. Leo had four-pack abs, toned pecs, and a muscular back. His arms were nicely muscular, as well. Leo's pajama pants were hanging low on his waist, covering his manhood and toned butt. Piper continued to stare. She had never seen such a gorgeous sight. Leo pulled a t-shirt over his head, snapping Piper out of her trance.

"So, uh, do we sleep on our own sides?" Piper smiled.

Leo turned around an laughed at her question.

"Only if we aren't speaking to each other." he smiled. "But most of the time, I hold you in my arms until you fall asleep. I don't sleep until I know you are sleeping."

"That's really romantic." Piper smiled and climbed onto her bed.

She patted the space next to her and Leo happily laid on his side next to her, propping his head up with his arm.

"You also like to sleep in my clothes. It doesn't bother me because you look so damn adorable in them." he smiled, making her blush.

"Do we ever just lay in bed and talk?" Piper asked.

"Yes." Leo responded.

"Do we…do we make love a lot?" she asked shyly.

"Yes, we do." he smiled.

"Did we ever cuddle together and watch a movie while it's pouring rain outside?" she asked.

"Yes. A lot." he said.

"You are like my dream man." Piper scooted closer to him. "I've always wanted a man like that. A man who would do anything romantic and girly. You seemed like you never neglected me."

Leo hung his head in shame.

"I did neglect you once. We got into a huge fight about it. I was too preoccupied with my charges. They are the witches and future whitelighters that I look after. Anyway, we fought and you said you would have been happier with your ex-boyfriend, Dan. I thought we were headed for a divorce. Honestly, I don't know why you forgive me for things like that." he felt incredibly guilt-ridden.

"Leo," Piper lifted his head up to make him look at her, but his gaze never left the mattress. "I don't think I would have been happy with anybody, if I wasn't happy with you. From what I've heard, you are the best thing I ever had, and it's easy to forgive you because, well I don't know. But, don't take that too personally because I can't remember anything about you."

Leo let out a laugh.

"Okay." he smiled.

"Good. So, tell me, were you jealous of this Dan guy?" Piper smirked.

"What? No!" Leo scoffed.

"Ha! That means you were." she smiled.

"Fine, I was. But, for good reason. When we weren't together, I had to watch him be with you. I had to see him kiss you and hug you and touch you and love up on you. It was sickening." Leo said in disgust.

Piper's head flew back as she laughed. She couldn't remember this, but seeing Leo so jealous was kind of sexy.

"Hey, calm down. I'm with you now, aren't I?" she ran her hand through his hair, but then quickly pulled back.

"Piper," Leo gently sat up and gradually leaned closer to her.

He slowly pushed her down until she was lying on her back. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest as she had Leo so close to her. He was hovering over her, supporting himself with is arms. She looked into his eyes.

"We've talked about this." he whispered. "You don't have to be so shy with me."

Piper couldn't remember how to breathe. He was so close, his eyes roving over her face and down her body. He looked at her with a smile on his face as he leaned closer to her. She swore he was going to kiss her, but was surprised when he pulled away put a decent amount of distance between them. Piper was flustered. Leo could see her dazed expression.

"I told you I'm not gonna pressure you into anything." he smiled. "So, how about we sleep now? Does that sound good?"

Piper, too out of breath to respond, just nodded. Leo smiled at what he caused her and started to get off the bed. Suddenly, he felt her hand grab his.

"No, don't leave." she said quietly. "Will you, will you hold me? Until I fall asleep? I want you to."

"Sure, honey." he climbed back in bed and pulled her to him.

Immediately, Piper snuggled down into his arms. It felt familiar. A while later, the couple was fast asleep.

_o_

A couple days had come and gone. Piper wasn't making any progress with her memory. Everything was still a blank. Her job, her witchcraft, and everything else was still erased from her mind. Leo was still unknown in her head, and she hated that. She spent most of her time with him the past few days and she loved being with him. She wanted to remember him the most of all.

While Piper was sitting in the conservatory, her mind wandered to Leo. There was still so much she didn't know about him. Was he the workaholic type? Was he skillful? Was he good in bed? Piper smirked at the last question. She was eager to find out that bit of information. She knew they've done it before, too bad she can't remember. Piper's thoughts were interrupted when she saw a swirl of orbs come through the conservatory.

"Hey, Piper." Leo smiled when he fully appeared.

"Hi, Leo." she grinned.

Leo walked over to her and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. The slightest touch, such as that, made Piper go crazy. He sat down next to her and wondered what she was doing.

"I was just reading, but I got distracted." Piper smiled.

"By what?" he asked.

"By you." she said quietly.

"Me? Why Mrs. Halliwell, are you thinking dirty thoughts?" Leo laughed.

Piper blushed a deep crimson color and smiled shyly. It's amazing how he could read her like a book. Leo stopped laughing and pulled her face up to his.

"Don't be embarrassed." he whispered.

"I have a question." Piper pulled away slightly. "How come I still can't remember anything? It's been days and you would think I would remember things since I'm doing them now. Shouldn't that trigger something?"

"Well, It's gonna take some time. You'll remember soon. Memory is something that cannot be played with. It can be dangerous without it. But, it does take time to come back." Leo explained.

"You have all the answers, don't you?" Piper asked as she subconsciously ran her hand across his chest.

"If I did, our lives would be so much easier." he stated softly.

Piper leaned forward and kissed him gently. Hesitantly, she pulled away and sighed.

"Leo, I wish I could remember you." she said.

"I wish you could remember me, too, baby." he smoothed out her hair.

It always got to her when he did that. When he would touch her in such an affectionate way and call her sweet names like 'baby'. The butterflies in her stomach were going wild.

"There has to be some way to fix this." Piper said in a determined voice.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe a spell or something." Piper said.

"Piper, you barely know the craft. Plus, I don't think that's a good idea. You know, personal gain? I think you should just wait this out." Leo said.

"It's taking too long. I'm tired of waiting." she complained.

"I know. I am, too. Nothing would make me happier than getting your memory back." he kissed her cheek.

"Okay." Piper sighed, leaning back against the chair.

"How about we do some things that might refresh your memory?" he asked.

"Okay." she smiled at him. "Like what?"

"We could go make lunch. I always used to help you." Leo suggested.

"It's a start." she chuckled and they both made their way to the kitchen.

For lunch, Piper decided to make a salad and hamburgers, with a chocolate mousse for desert.

"Leo, can you toss the salad?" Piper asked, while working on the hamburgers.

"Sure." Leo picked up the bowl with the salad.

Suddenly, he remembered the last time he made a salad. He wondered if they replayed the same scenario, would she remember? Leo walked over to Piper, just when she was about to turn around. She bumped into him and he purposefully dropped the bowl.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry!" Piper apologized.

Leo didn't say anything and just smiled at her. Piper looked at him and she smiled. He smirked at her and pick up a piece of lettuce.

"Leo, don't you dare!" she slowly back away from him.

He threw it at her, then picked up more to throw at her. She squealed and started throwing the lettuce back at him. They started a salad fight. After a while, Leo back her up against the basement door and the laughter died down. Piper looked up into his eyes. Her hands were on his shoulders, his hands on her waist.

All of sudden, it all came back to her. Flashbacks of her being a witch, fighting demons, working at Quake, meeting Leo, going through their relationship, meeting other guys, quitting her job, starting a club, meeting Dan, having to choose between him and Leo, Prue becoming a photographer, Phoebe going to college, the situation with Phoebe and Cole, marrying Leo, everything that's happened in the past three years.

Then, Piper's world turned to black.

**I hope this chapter was good. Please review! Thanks, guys.**


	8. Celebrating Another Obstacle Faced

**So, I hope I'm doing good with this story. I really want it to be as good as the rest. Thanks for reading all the previous chapters, and here's the next one. Please, enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Charmed, geez.**

_Previously on Passion:_

_All of sudden, it all came back to her. Flashbacks of her being a witch, fighting demons, working at Quake, meeting Leo, going through their relationship, meeting other guys, quitting her job, starting a club, meeting Dan, having to choose between him and Leo, Prue becoming a photographer, Phoebe going to college, the situation with Phoebe and Cole, marrying Leo, everything that's happened in the past three years._

_Then, Piper's world turned to black._

_o_

"Piper!" Leo panicked as her eyes closed.

She lost her balanced and started falling to the floor. Leo scooped her up into his arms and took her into the living room. He placed her on the couch and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" Prue answered her phone.

"Prue, you need to get home. Piper fainted, and she's not waking up." Leo said in a rushed tone.

"I'm coming home right now." Prue said, then hung up.

Leo called Phoebe, too. She and Cole arrived before Prue did, and Piper still hadn't woken up yet.

"What happened?" Prue asked while pacing behind the couch where Piper laid.

"Well, we were in the conservatory talking, then we went into the kitchen to make lunch. We started messing around with the food and then she passed out." Leo responded.

"What do you think happened to her?" Phoebe asked from her seat on the floor by Piper.

"I don't know." Leo sighed.

He was worried sick about her. She was fine before. They were having fun together. Then, she faints and all his concern came flooding back. He didn't have any reason to beat himself up about it, but he couldn't help but do it. He felt like it was his fault.

"Mmm…" Piper mumbled.

Prue and Phoebe were instantly alert, and by her side. Leo let them be the first Piper would see, since they were her sisters. Piper's eyes opened and she saw them.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out." Prue said.

"I did? Oh, buddy." Piper groaned.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe hugged her.

"I'm fine, Pheebs." Piper chuckled at her baby sister.

"Then why did you faint?" Prue asked.

"Because my head was on overload." Piper joked. "My memory decided it was time to come back."

"Really?" Prue smiled. "You remember everything?"

"Yup. And boy, I forgot a lot." Piper laughed.

"So, you remember all the witchy stuff and your club?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, thank God." Piper smiled, then frowned in worry. "Leo? Where's Leo?"

"I'm right here, sweetie." Leo walked over to her.

Phoebe moved back to the ground to make room for Leo on the couch. As soon as he sat down, Piper tackled him in a hug. He was pleasantly shocked, but hugged her back tightly.

"I remember you, Leo. I remember." Piper smiled, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I know, baby. I'm so glad." he whispered and smoothed out her hair.

Everyone smiled at the two of them. They were glad Piper gained her memory back. It was like walking on pins and needles around her for the past few days. Everything was fine now. Piper didn't want to let go of Leo. She could spend the rest of her life in his arms. It was where she the happiest. It was where she belonged.

"So, Piper, you remember not having your memory?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I remember walking around and trying to remember anything." Piper loosened her grip on Leo just a little to look at her sisters. "And you guys sticking it out with me."

"It wasn't that bad. We knew you'd get it back sooner or later." Prue smiled.

"Well, at least that part of the nightmare is over. I'm just glad to have it all back. I don't really miss the magic, but I miss my club and what we've accomplished over the years. I mean, we've changed so much and I don't want to forget any of that." Piper smiled.

"Me, neither." Phoebe smiled back.

Leo gently squeezed Piper in his arms in agreement. She looked at him and smiled. He wiped her wet cheeks and kissed her forehead. Piper was happy to remember Leo more than anything. He was the most important thing in her life, and she would never let herself forget that.

"So, who's up for lunch?" Piper asked the group.

After a chorus of 'I am', Piper went to the kitchen to continue making lunch.

"I can't believe we made this mess again, Leo." Piper chuckled walking into the kitchen with everyone.

"Hey, it was for a good cause this time." Leo touched her back affectionately and kissed her head. "It got your memory back."

"Did you know?" Piper asked, looking up at him. "That it would trigger my memory?"

"No, but I hoped it would." he smiled.

They cleaned up the mess and finished making lunch. The five of them sat down and ate in peace, reveling in the fact that Piper was back to her normal self.

_o_

Prue and Phoebe followed Piper around the house quizzing her on events from the past three years, making sure she remembered everything. After they were convinced, the sisters went out on a shopping trip to celebrate. Cole and Leo stayed home complaining that shopping was boring.

"So, Piper," Phoebe spoke up as they were walking through the mall. "You and Leo haven't done it in quite a few days."

"Yeah, and with your memory back, I think this calls for a little celebratory sex, don't you think, Phoebe?" Prue chimed in on the teasing.

Piper just rolled her eyes and smiled. Of course her sisters would think that.

"Oh, most definitely. And I'm sure Leo would enjoy some new lingerie." Phoebe said as she and Prue pulled Piper into a Victoria's Secret store.

A few hours later, the girls came burst through the front door of the Manor laughing their heads off. Their hands were full of shopping bags. They walked into the foyer and dropped their stuff.

"That was exhausting." Phoebe complained.

"Hey, it was all worth it." Prue smiled.

"Of course it was. Look at what we bought!" Phoebe gestured to the bags.

"Mmm-hmm. You're just lucky I liked what I bought." Piper joked.

"Oh, and you're hoping Leo will like it, too." Phoebe winked at her.

"Speaking of Leo, LEO!" Piper shouted.

Leo orbed into the foyer.

"Hey, girls." Leo smiled.

"Hi." Prue and Phoebe smiled.

"Hey, mister." Piper gave him a kiss.

"How was the shopping trip?" he asked.

"It was great." Piper answered. "Where were you? With the Elders?"

"Yeah, I was just filling them in on your situation and they were gathering information about the demonic grouping in the underworld." Leo replied.

"Oh. Will they need you any time today?" Piper asked.

"No, I told them I want to be here for you." he smiled at her.

"Good." she smiled.

"Yeah, really good." Phoebe chuckled.

"Shut up, Phoebe." Piper scolded her sister with a smile.

"Leo, can you help me with these bags?" Piper asked innocently.

"Sure, honey." he replied.

Leo and Piper took Piper's share of bags upstairs to their room. Leo spotted the Victoria's Secret bag and grinned. Once in their bedroom, Piper placed the bags on the bed and plopped herself down. Leo put the rest of the bags down and looked at her.

"What?" she asked, with a smile.

Leo didn't say anything. He leaned down and kissed her hard. Piper was surprised, but kissed him back. He gently pushed her down with his lips onto the bed so that she was laying down and he was hovering over her. Leo's lips traveled across her cheek to her ear.

"I'm so happy you're okay again." Leo whispered.

"M-me, too." Piper stuttered, as she felt Leo's hands run over her body.

"It hurt that you didn't remember me. I thought you wouldn't want to be near me." he said in a husky tone.

"W-well, I…I knew you w-were my…husband." Piper could feel Leo's hands in her shirt caressing her skin, and his mouth sucking on her neck.

"Hmm…" Leo kissed down her body to her chest. "Well, now that you have your memory back, everything is the way it should be."

He looked up at her and smiled. He got up and sat her up to fix her shirt before walking out of the room. Piper watched him leave, then fell back onto the bed with a groan.

"He is such a tease!" Piper smiled. "Well, I can be a tease, too."

A while later, Piper had made dinner and they all sat down to eat. After dinner, everyone decided to go to the club to celebrate Piper's recovery. The girls all wore something new they bought from their shopping trip. They were ready to go by 9:00pm, so the five jumped into Piper's jeep and were on their way.

The group lounged around in their private booth at P3.

"Alright. Here's to Piper." Phoebe spoke, raising her glass. "For regaining her memory."

"To Piper!" everyone raised their glasses and clinked them.

"I like to be celebrated." Piper joked.

Everyone laughed. Piper sat on one couch with Leo and Prue while Cole and Phoebe sat together on the opposite couch.

"Hey, Piper," Phoebe smiled. "That guy at the bar keeps looking over here."

"So, he's probably eying up Prue." Piper glanced at the guy.

"No, he's definitely looking at you." Prue looked at him, too.

"So what." Piper said, leaning back against the couch. "I've got this one right here."

Piper placed her hand on Leo's cheek, pulling him closer to her and kissed his other cheek.

"And don't you forget it." Leo smiled.

They spent a few hours at the club, talking, laughing, and knocking back drinks. Soon, Piper wanted to go home. Leo and Piper orbed home, leaving the car for Prue, Phoebe, and Cole.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked as they orbed into the bedroom.

"Yeah." Piper smiled. "Just didn't want to be at the club anymore."

"Okay." he smiled. "So what do you want to do?"

"Well, first, I want to change out of these clothes." she answered.

Piper walked into their bathroom and locked the door. She had put her Victoria's Secret bag in there before they left for P3. She smiled and quickly changed into her new lingerie. She let her hair down from her ponytail and it bounced around her shoulders, falling down her back. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the new perfume she bought and sprayed a decent amount on herself. Looking over herself in the mirror, she was satisfied with her look.

Leo had changed into a pair pajama pants and a gray wife-beater. He climbed onto the bed and waited for Piper to come out of the bathroom. He sat up against the headboard. Suddenly, Piper opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"Whoa…" Leo's eyes roved over her body.

Piper stood there in a black lace bra with matching panties and a red satin robe opened in the front revealing just enough to make Leo drool.

"Just the reaction I was hoping for." Piper smiled, walking over to the bed.

"Uhh…" Leo was at a loss for words.

"What's the matter, honey?" she grinned. "Cat's got your tongue?"

Piper walked over to the couch that was by the window in their bedroom, turning away from him.

"You know, Leo, I have this problem." she spoke, letting the robe slip off her shoulders, but remained on her body, giving him a little more view of her.

"You do?" he managed to say.

"Yeah. You see, my husband likes to torture me. He knows I can't resist him and he uses that to drive me insane." Piper said. "I'm just curious as to how I get back at him for that."

Leo got up from the bed and walked over to her. He pulled down on her robe, exposing more of her skin, and kissed her shoulder.

"Hmm…" he trailed his lips to her neck. "I'm not sure about that. I think he was just having a little fun with you."

"Well…" she pulled away from him and went to sit on the bed. "It was not fun for me."

"That's too bad." he walked over to her.

Leo leaned down and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her passionately. His hands trailed down her slender neck and shoulders, pulling the robe completely of her body. He tossed it to the foot of the bed. Leo placed a hand firmly at the middle of her back and pulled her body against him, without breaking the kiss. He moved them more onto the bed, with Piper laying on her back and him on top of her. Piper moaned, feeling his familiar weight against her. She opened her mouth to let Leo's tongue inside. Leo's hands ran over her body, caressing every inch of her as if she was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. He kissed a wet trail from her lips down to her chest.

"You're so beautiful, Piper. I love you." he whispered.

He sat up and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him. Her arms looped around his neck.

"Prove it." she whispered before kissing him hungrily.

And that's exactly what Leo did, until the crack of dawn the next morning.

**How was that chapter? Good, Bad? I need your reviews! Thanks guys.**


	9. I Thought You Loved Me

**Now I'm back with a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Man, it's like you guys don't listen. I don't own Charmed.**

Piper turned over in bed, throwing her arm out across Leo's side. All she felt were the sheets and pillows. She opened her eyes and raised her head up. _He's gone? _she asked herself. Piper sat up in her bed and pulled the sheets up to her chest. Something caught her eye. There was a note laying on Leo's pillow, along with a single red rose. A smile spread across Piper's face. She lifted the rose up to her nose to inhale its sweet scent. Then, she picked up the note and read it.

_Piper, I hate that I can't be there with you when you wake up, but I did watch you sleep for a while. You are so beautiful, Angel. Anyway, I had work to attend to and I'll try to come home as soon as possible. I love you, honey. Always, Leo._

Piper smiled and traced the letters of Leo's name with her finger. She loved the little things he did for her; things like this. After a moment, she climbed out of bed and got ready for the day. Piper was in the kitchen making breakfast, when Phoebe walked in.

"Hey, Piper." Phoebe smiled.

"Hey, sis." Piper smiled back.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing, just making breakfast. And you better eat this morning." Piper scolded her sister.

"I will, I will. I don't have class for another two hours, _mom_." Phoebe smiled.

"I worry 'cause I love." Piper smiled.

"Hey, coffee. Where's the coffee." Prue mumbled sleepily.

"Hiya, Prue. Late night?" Piper teased as she placed the scrambled eggs on a plate.

"Later than I planned." Prue poured herself a cup of coffee. "Shane was just being amazing and I ended up coming home too late."

"Oooh, did you do, you know?" Piper asked with a smile.

"No, I'm still waiting. I don't know. He's great, but I just wanna be sure." Prue answered.

"I understand." Phoebe said. "I felt the same way with Cole."

Prue nodded in understanding, then turned to Piper, who was busy making French toast.

"What about you?" she asked.

"What?" Piper asked.

"How long did it take for you to know Leo was the one for you?" Prue asked.

"I knew from the moment I saw him." Piper smiled. "I never had to wonder if he was the one for me. I just knew."

"Piper, it's times like these that I really hate you." Phoebe joked.

"What!" Piper laughed. "You have Cole. I don't know what you're complaining about."

"Well, yeah, but you're just so damn lucky." Prue smiled.

_That I am. _Piper thought to herself with a smile.

The breakfast table only had Prue, Piper, and Phoebe. Leo was still with the Elders and Cole was at work at the district attorney's office. After breakfast, Prue got ready for work, Phoebe headed off to class, and Piper was cleaning up the kitchen. Leo orbed in, but she didn't notice.

"PIPER!" he yelled.

Piper practically jumped out of her skin and whipped around, clutching a hand to her chest.

"Damn it, Leo! Are you trying to kill me?" she breathed.

"Sorry, I wanted to get your attention." he grinned.

"You couldn't just say hello like normal people do?" she asked, with slight annoyance.

"We're hardly normal, Piper." he slowly made his way toward her.

"Yeah, speaking of which, you're not supposed to yell unless there is a demon in the house." she stated.

"Sorry, _mom._" Leo joked.

"What is with everyone calling me 'mom' today?" Piper asked as Leo was standing right in front of her now. "Do I look like your mother?"

Leo smiled and was about to respond when Piper put her hand up in protest.

"Don't answer that." she smiled.

"Sorry, _baby._" Leo kissed her lightly on the lips. "How's that?"

"Better, but that kiss was hardly a kiss." Piper smiled and pulled his head back to hers for a passionate kiss.

The kiss led to another, then another, until Piper was sitting on the kitchen counter with her hands gripping Leo's hair and her legs wrapped around his waist keeping him in place as their lips and tongues intertwined.

"Why…do you do this to me?" Piper breathed.

"Do what?" Leo pulled away.

"Make me so crazy about you." she answered. "Not that you can control it, but I can't help but want you all the time."

"Baby, it's the same way for me. I can't help but want you all the time, too. It's torture when I'm away from you." Leo tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I love you." she smiled, before kissing him again.

"I love you, too." he mumbled against her lips.

The two were so caught up in their kissing, they didn't notice another being in the same room.

"Ahem." she cleared her throat. "Leo."

Leo pulled away from Piper and they both looked at the visitor.

"Allison? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Had nothing better to do, so I thought I'd stop by and hang out. Is now a bad time?" Allison asked.

"Uh, no." Leo walked away from Piper. "Aren't you on call?"

"Nah, the Elders have to give me at least a few days off, right?" Allison smiled.

"Right." he laughed. "Well, you're welcome to hang out around here."

"Cool." Allison looked over at Piper. "So, this must be your wife."

"Yeah, yeah, this is Piper." Leo took Piper's hand and pulled her off of the counter. "Piper, this is Allison. She's a fellow whitelighter, one of the decent ones up there."

"Hi." Piper smiled.

"Finally meeting a Charmed One. Very nice to meet you." Allison grinned.

"Thanks. Nice to finally meet another one of Leo's whitelighter friends." Piper said.

"Yes, when we heard that Leo was going to guide the Power of Three, he became the envy of all whitelighters. But, we were okay once we knew how tough the job would be." Allison said.

"Tough?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, demons coming around constantly, your resistance to the craft, things like that. Leo was a real trooper getting you guys to assemble to magic, though. I can still remember his excitement upon meeting you." Allison smiled.

Piper knew Allison wasn't referring to meeting the Charmed Ones, but meeting just her. Leo blushed slightly at the comment. Allison sat down at the island in the kitchen, and Leo leaned against it right next to her.

"So, uh, Allison, what's been going on lately?" Leo asked, casually.

Piper went back to cleaning up around the kitchen as Leo and Allison chatted away. She quietly listened in on their conversation. She became a little saddened as she learned how much Leo and Allison had in common. Sure, there were a million things he and herself had in common, but Leo and Allison shared work things and personal things, too. She felt as if Leo didn't let her in on enough details in his life when he knew everything there is to know about her. Piper turned to stare at the two for a moment. The way Leo was looking at Allison was heartbreaking.

"Uh, I'm going upstairs." Piper said.

Neither heard her; or if they did, they didn't respond. Piper hung her head in sorrow as she left the kitchen, leaving Leo and Allison to laugh and talk alone. On her way up the stairs, Piper reviewed what she witnessed in the kitchen: the way Leo smiled at Allison, the way Allison's eyes sparkled when she looked at Leo, the way they couldn't stop laughing at memories of their past adventures. Thinking about it made Piper want to cry. She finally reached her room and walked over to the bed. Picking up a framed picture of her and Leo, she sat down on the bed.

"You lied to me." Piper spoke quietly. "You said you wanted me all the time. You said it's painful to be away from me. But when you're with Allison, any thought of me flies out of your head."

Tears trickled down her face as she looked at the picture. It was taken a few months ago on Valentines Day. It was taken by Prue. Leo and Piper were looking into each other's eyes, wrapped in each other's arms. At the time, Piper thought all the feelings she felt were pure, but now she was not so sure. With that final thought, she placed the picture face down on the nightstand, went back downstairs, out the front door, and to her car. She needed to get away for a while, so Piper started driving around. Leo was so busy with Allison, he wouldn't even noticed she was gone.

_o_

"It was so nice to catch up with you, Ally." Leo smiled.

"Yeah, it was nice to catch up with you, too. I don't see much of you anymore." she smiled back.

"Well, between whitelighter duty, Piper, and the family, I don't have much time for anything else." he sighed.

"I understand. Maybe soon, you'll have some free time. I would like to see more of my best friend." Allison lightly punched Leo in the arm.

"Hopefully. I miss you, too." he smiled.

"Good." she chuckled. "Well, I think we had a decent amount of time together. I should get going. You know, saving the world and all."

"Yeah, I'll see you around." Leo said.

"Alright." Ally gave him a hug. "Tell Piper I said bye."

"Okay." he said, then Ally orbed out.

Leo sighed. He loved Allison. She has been his friend since he first became a whitelighter. They had so many memories and long talks in their time together and Leo couldn't imagine not knowing her. She was his best friend and always will be one of them. Speaking of his best friends, he left the kitchen in search of Piper.

_o_

Piper continued to drive around for a while, and eventually ended up in a few towns over. She hadn't stopped until she came up to a little French restaurant. It looked warm and inviting, so she parked her car and climbed out. She was seated shortly and she looked around a bit. A guy was sitting on the other side of the restaurant. He looked familiar. Piper got a closer look, and noticed it was Dan. She got up and went over to him.

"Hey." she smiled warmly.

"Hi, Piper." he grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I…" she thought for a minute, not wanting Dan to know the real reason. "I just thought I'd take a long drive. You know, get out of San Francisco for a while."

"Oh, is Leo with you?" he asked.

"Uh, no. I'm here. By myself." Piper chuckled nervously.

"Well, then, why don't you join me? I don't mind." he smiled.

"Oh I don't…" Piper was going to reject, but quickly stopped herself. "What the hell."

She slid into the seat and smiled. They ended up having lunch together.

"So, what are you doing in this town?" Piper asked while they ate.

"I had a job all the way out here." Dan answered.

"Oh, that makes sense." she smiled.

"Yeah, it was my lunch break so I just wanted to try this place out. I'm starting to loving it." he smiled.

"Yeah, me too." she said.

"So, how come Leo isn't with you?" Dan asked.

"He's…got stuff to do and I just wanted to be alone for a while." she replied.

"Is that why you're sitting with me?" he smiled.

"Well, the drive down here, I was alone. But, now I'm enjoying your company." Piper smiled.

_o_

Leo scoured the whole house, but couldn't find Piper. He was getting worried, so he called her cell a few times, but it kept going straight to voicemail. He called Prue and Phoebe, and they said they haven't seen her since that morning. They didn't worry too much because Phoebe had talked to her five minutes ago on the phone and she was fine.

"So, she's ignoring my calls?" Leo asked himself. "Well, I promised I wouldn't do this, but she leaves me no choice."

Leo tracked Piper down with her sensing power and orbed to where she was. He orbed between two cars in the parking lot of some French restaurant. Confusion twisted in his mind as he wondered what she was doing here, in another town. Leo got his answer and wished he didn't. He spotted Piper through the window of the restaurant laughing and talking with none other than Dan. He stood frozen in his place. Why was she here without mentioning it to him? Why did she have to leave San Francisco in order to have lunch with Dan? It just didn't make any sense. Leo's heart broke as he watched Piper lean over the table and kiss Dan on the cheek. She had her hand over his, looking content with him. Leo couldn't take it anymore. He hid between the cars and orbed away with a tear falling down his cheek.

_o_

Lunch was ending soon, and Piper decided she needed to go. The check came and Dan, being a gentleman, paid without a second thought.

"Thanks for this, Dan. I needed it." Piper smiled.

"You're welcome. Is everything okay?" he asked as they left.

"Yeah, I just needed to get away for a while, to sort things out." she answered.

"Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything. I'm still here for you. I'm still your friend." he said, sincerely.

Piper smiled and hugged him. She was grateful to have Dan. He was always there when she needed him. It meant so much to her to know that he would drop everything just for her. He was always a good friend.

"You're too good to me, Dan." she smiled, still hugging him.

"You deserve it, Piper. Although you have Leo to show you the kind of affection I can no longer give you." he sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?" she pulled away from him.

"Of course." he smiled.

"If…if Leo and I…" Piper couldn't bring herself to say it. "If Leo and I were to split up, would I have you to go to? Would you want to lend me your shoulder to cry on?"

"I would do anything for you, honey." Dan put a hand to her cheek. "You can come to me for anything. I will always let you in."

Piper had tears in her eyes; tears from thinking Leo and her might be over, and tears from the sweet words Dan said to her. She hugged him once more.

"Thank you." she said. "I should be going now. I'll see you around."

"Alright. Bye." he smiled.

"Bye." Piper smiled and climbed into her car.

_o_

Piper had time to think while she drove home. Dan was one of the best things to happen to her, but Leo was the absolute best thing in her life. She didn't want to lose him, but it seemed like he wanted more than what he had. She couldn't be Allison, so she needed to do something. She needed for Leo to decide what, or who, he really wanted. She couldn't make the decision based on what she felt. But if it came to that, she would have to.

**How was this chapter? Good? Great? Horrible? I'm trying to put as much drama into this story as much as there is romance. Yes, Leo and Piper have a lot of problems, but they do in the show, as well. Anyway, I'll update as soon as possible. Please review. Thanks guys.**


	10. It's Not the Same Love

**Hey, guys. Thanks for continuing to read my story! Here's the next chapter. Oh, and there will be some explicit sex towards the end, just a fair warning. It's kind of long and if you don't like that kind of stuff, you don't have to read it. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I promise I don't own Charmed. I just own Allison and maybe some new characters.**

Leo sat on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, tears falling from his eyes like unchecked waterfalls. It's not as if he could help it. Piper betrayed him. He gave her all his love, and this is how she repaid him. He didn't want believe it. What did he do wrong? He just couldn't figure it out. Anger and sorrow mixed in his heart, twisting his insides until he couldn't fight it anymore. Leo orbed into a deserted alley on the other side of town. After making sure no one was around, he gripped his hair and let out a scream. He started pacing back and forth as he cried and mumbled in frustration. The fact that she was with Dan made him even angrier and more worried. Leo lost Piper to him once, and he was afraid he was losing her again. The anger was starting to get the better of him as he began punching the walls. What was he going to do about this predicament he was in?

_o_

Piper pulled up into the driveway a while later. No other cars where in the driveway, which meant Prue and Phoebe weren't home yet. Piper walked up the stairs of the Manor and stood frozen. _Will Leo be in there with Allison? What are they doing?_ Questions like these ran through Piper's mind. She shook her head, as if to clear it and walked into the house. She turned the corner into the living room and her heart turned to ice, stopping her from breathing. She found Leo and Allison on the couch. All over each other. Making out.

"Oh my god! How could you?" Piper screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, hey." Leo looked up at her. "Well, Allison satisfies me way more than you do, so I'm with her now."

"But I love you. Why would you do this to me?" Piper cried.

"I never really loved you. I just felt sorry for you." Leo said.

Piper's heart was breaking. She couldn't believe he would do this to her.

"No." she shook her head.

"You have Dan. Go to him." and with that, Leo and Allison orbed away.

"No!" Piper screamed and fell to her knees.

A honking car driving through the street pulled Piper out of her imagination. She was still standing at the front door. Sudden fear twisted in her stomach as she jammed the key into the lock and pushed the door open with such force, it practically flew off the hinges. Piper ran into the living and sighed in relief, seeing no one there. She checked ever room in the house. She came up empty. That didn't ease her mind, though. What if Leo and Allison were together somewhere else?

"Leo!" Piper shouted in concern. "Leo! Leo, where are you?"

She waited a full minute before orbs filled the foyer. Leo looked run down. His clothes were crumpled, his hair was in disarray, his eyes were red; as if he had been crying, and his hands were all bruised with cuts and scrapes.

"Oh my god. What happened to you?" Piper took a step towards him.

"What do you care?" Leo said harshly.

"What do you mean what do I care?" she asked.

"Never mind. Just forget about it." Leo started walking up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Piper followed him.

Once in the room, Leo changed out of his tattered clothes.

"What is wrong with you?" Piper asked, getting irritated.

"Me? Oh, nothing. I'm great, considering my wife likes to cheat on me." he half-yelled.

"What!" Piper shouted. "I would NEVER cheat on you! Why in the hell would I do that? Why would you even think that!"

Leo walked out of the closet and straight to Piper. He grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her up to him, so that they were almost at eye level.

"I saw you. I shouldn't have used my sensing power on you, but I did. I know it's not fair because I always know where you are, but I was worried and you were nowhere in the house. Then, I find you in another freaking town with…with Dan!" Leo clenched his teeth. "You couldn't have lunch here? Oh, no that was too obvious."

Tears started to fall from his eyes. He let her go with an angry grunt and punched a wall, making Piper jump.

"You were holding his hand and kissing his cheek! What the hell am I supposed to think?" Leo yelled.

"I didn't mean to end up in a different town. I didn't even know he was there! I was just driving around, trying not to break down when I got hungry. He was there and I needed a friend. A _friend_, Leo!" tears ran down Piper's cheeks as she ran her hands through her hair. "You can kiss friends on the cheek and touch their hands."

"Why were you driving around? Why did you need a friend? Why didn't you let me know you were going out?" he asked, still as angry as ever.

"We were fine this morning, you couldn't take your eyes off me. But then, she comes and everything changes. You were so busy with Allison, you barely noticed I was there. It wouldn't have mattered if I told you I was leaving. I don't mean as much to you as Allison does. The way you looked at her, the way you talked to her, it was heartbreaking. I love you, but you don't love me. All this time you were feeling sorry for me." Piper collapsed to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. "I needed to know that Dan would be there for me when you leave me."

Piper buried her face in her hands. Leo stood frozen in his place. There was disbelief and confusion written all over his face. Piper thought that Leo was _in love_ with Allison? Leo loved Allison as a friend. They've known each other for years. But, Piper was the love of his life. He couldn't imagine even attempting to hurt her in any way. Never once, since he met her, did he ever feel sorry for her. She was his soul mate. And she was now a crumpled mess on the floor, thinking he would leave her for his best friend.

Leo instantly felt guilty for his assumptions and vague introduction of Allison. They wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for him. Why does he keep screwing up?

"Piper-" he said in a tone that seemed like he was confirming her suspicions.

Piper didn't let him continue. She abruptly stood up and ran out of the room. She didn't think she could handle what he was about to say.

"Piper, wait!" Leo ran after her.

But she kept running, down the hall, down the stairs, and almost out the door. Leo gave up running halfway down the stairs and orbed in front of her before she could leave. She ran right into him and he wrapped his arms around her. She cried and tried to fight back. No matter what, he didn't let her go.

"I would never leave you." he whispered in her ear. "I love you too much."

"But…but w-what about-" Piper stuttered through her tears.

"Allison is my best friend. We've known each other ever since I first became a whitelighter. She has always been there for me, and I've been there for her. I look at her and talk to her in a friendly loving way. It is nothing compared to the way I am towards you. She supported me when I fell in love with you. She stood behind me when I fought to be with you. I love her for it. But, Piper, it's not the same love I have for you. She's like my sister, but you're my wife. My love. I'll never want anyone else in your place." Leo declared.

Piper was all choked up by his words. She felt bad for just assuming something was going on without talking to him about it first. That's not what a good wife does.

"I'm…I'm sorry." she cried, holding him to her.

"I'm sorry, too, baby." he kissed her forehead.

"I don't ever want to lose you. There's nobody that could ever take your place. I want you. I love you so much. I just read everything wrong." she sobbed.

"I did, too. I always assume the worst, and I gotta stop that. I trust you, baby. I really do. I just can't stand the thought of losing you." Leo wiped her tears away.

"I trust you, too." she smiled weakly.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked.

"Of course." she said. "Do you forgive me?"

"Always." he smiled, caressing her cheek.

She lifted her head to his, eagerly waiting for one of his kisses. He leaned down the rest of the way and kissed her gently. Piper clung tighter to him.

"I love you." she whispered as she hugged him.

"I love you, too." he whispered back.

_o_

For the rest of the day, Piper wouldn't let go of Leo. He didn't mind at all, though. Having her as close to him as possible was all he needed to reassure himself that she wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted her.

Currently, Leo was laying on the couch in the living room, flipping through TV channels. Piper was laying on top of him, her legs intertwined with his, as they enjoyed the comfort they brought one another.

"Leo?" Piper spoke softly.

"Hmm?" he murmured.

"Do I…do I completely satisfy you? Enough that you wouldn't ask for anyone else?" she asked nervously.

"You've got to be kidding me." he said.

Piper looked up at him and was about to say something when Leo kissed her so fervently, so passionately, it made her gasp in shock. He took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. Leo's hands slipped into her shirt and ran over her slender back. Piper let out a small moan. She kissed him even deeper. Her hands made their way into his hair. They continued to kiss for a minute or two more, before Leo pulled away.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked breathlessly.

Piper nodded distantly, too excited to speak. She hungrily kissed him again. Her hands trailed down his sides and into his shirt, feeling every muscle that made up his upper body. She kissed him deeper as their tongues fought for control in Leo's mouth. Leo's hands traveled down to her ass and caressed it. Piper moaned.

"Mmmmm, Leo…" she breathed. "We…should probably go upstairs…Prue and Phoebe could walk in any moment."

"Okay." he smiled, breathing heavily. "Walk or orb?"

"Orb. It's faster." she said.

"Then we'll walk upstairs." he teased.

"Leo!" Piper groaned.

He gently pushed her off of him and stood up from the couch. He started walking out of the living room.

"Come on, Piper." Leo called over his shoulder. "Don't keep me waiting."

Piper ran past him, grabbing his hand on the way, and the couple ran upstairs to their bedroom. Once they reached the door, Piper pushed it open and turned to Leo. She pulled him to her in a passionate kiss. Leo excitedly returned the kiss. He gently pushed her against the wall as he kicked the door close. He pressed her up against the wall even more, soliciting a groan low in her throat. Leo pulled away from her lips.

"Piper," he said, his voice husky with desire.

He lifted both her hands up above her head and held them with one hand as the other hand slowly ran up and down her thigh. Piper was getting dizzy with lust.

"I feel like changing things up tonight, don't you?" Leo trailed a finger slowly up her body, then ran it over her swollen lips.

Piper's mouth open against his finger, and her tongue helped pull it inside. She sucked on his finger as he watched her intently. He licked his lips as she sucked his finger. He pulled it out and dragged it along her neck. Piper moaned as Leo's lips and tongue soon followed. Her hands were still locked above her head as he pleasured her neck.

"God, oh god, Leo." she moaned.

His free hand found the button on her jeans and unsnapped it effortlessly. Painfully slow, he unzipped the zipper¾while still sucking on her neck¾then tugged on her jeans so they opened a little more. Piper's body burned with a excitement. She had never seen Leo this way. She was intrigued by his wildness. Leo's lips moved up from her neck to her jaw line, then up to her ear.

"Tell me what you want, Piper." he whispered, as his hand slipped into her jeans and his fingers danced across her panties.

"Mmmmm, you. I want you." she moaned.

"Tell me you want it. Tell me you want me." he continued to whisper.

Leo felt how wet she was through her underwear as his fingers pressed into her. A loud moan escaped Piper's lips when she felt his fingers.

"I want it! Oh, baby, I want you so much!" she breathed.

"Do you?" he asked.

Piper turned her head so she captured Leo's lips with hers and kissed him with parted lips. She slipped her tongue into his mouth. She kissed him hard. Leo almost lost his resistance. He pulled away slowly. He let go of her hands and grabbed her hips, pushing them against the wall.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Wyatt?" he asked as she slipped her hands inside his shirt.

"I need a check-up, Dr. Wyatt. I haven't been feeling too well lately." Piper played along.

"There are doctor/patient rules, ma'am. This is highly against them." Leo smiled as she pulled his shirt off.

"Screw the rules. I need some treatment." she started kissing his chest.

"What kind of treatment are you looking for?" he asked, lifting her shirt over her head.

"My body is craving attention. I need it to be examined." she answered.

She tugged at his belt. She pulled it off and almost opened his jeans, but Leo grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his neck. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He placed her on it, but stood by the bed. He stepped out of his jeans, then climbed onto the bed. Piper's hands ran over his body. He kissed her passionately as his hands caressed her skin. He took things slow, making sure she enjoyed every minute of it. Leo reached the hook on her bra, so she arched her body into his to give him better access. He gently pulled it off of her and looked down at her breasts. He smiled and kissed the valley between them. His mouth took in her left nipple first, as his hand fondled the other one. Piper moaned loudly. Leo's other hand worked its way into her jeans and stroked her over her panties.

"Hmmmph." she moaned as her left hand gripped his hair while her right lightly ran up and down his back.

"You taste so good, babe." Leo breathed as he moved to her other breast and sucked it hard.

"Leo, please." Piper panted.

He pulled his attention away from her breasts and smiled at her. Leo gripped the sides of her jeans and exceedingly slow, pulled them down her legs with a smirk on his face. He loved to make her beg for him to end her torture. Once her jeans were off, Leo reached into the nightstand and took out two long ribbons. He smiled at Piper before taking one of her hands and tying it to the bedpost. He did the same thing with the other hand.

"It's your turn to be restrained." Leo mumbled against her neck.

Piper pulled against her bounds. She was excited, but restless. She wanted Leo to love her already, but she loved how he wanted please her first. Leo's hands ran over every inch of her body in sweet caresses. He kissed down her body and reached her underwear. He pulled them down a little and kissed her there.

"Leo…take 'em off." Piper breathed.

He smiled and pulled them down a little at a time, kissing the exposed skin. Finally, Leo relieved her of her underwear. He sat up and looked down at her. She bit her lip, anticipating what he was about to do next. With her hands tied above her head, she was powerless against his blissful attacks. Leo ran his hands up and down her thighs before bending down and kissing between her legs. Piper moaned, feeling his lips on her. He continued with his feather-like kisses as one of his hands made its way up to her sex and grazed her opening. He got even harder feeling how wet she was. Leo began sucking on her clit while he slipped two fingers into her.

"Oh, Leo!" Piper moaned loudly.

He moved slow, making her shake in desire. She tugged at the ties, desperately wanting to ran her hands through Leo's hair and push him harder onto her. Leo could see how much she wanted to be freed. He grinned and moved his fingers faster, swirling it around inside her as he licked her clit.

"Uhhh! Don't stop! Leo, oh god, don't stop!" Piper shouted as an orgasm shot through her body.

Right before she released, he pulled his fingers out and kissed up her body. Piper groaned at the loss.

"You wanna be freed?" Leo asked.

"Yes." she moaned.

He sat up over her and pulled down his boxers. His erection sprang free. Piper licked her lips when she saw it. She desperately wanted to touch him, to lick him. Leo grabbed her legs and spread them apart. He positioned himself between her and gently glided in. Piper's head flew back against the pillow at the feeling of him inside her. He started moving incredibly slow in her. Piper wanted to grabbed him and push him in deeper, but she was still tied down.

"Leo, please! Go faster…" she begged.

He suddenly stopped. Piper looked at him. He pulled out and leaned over her. Leo untied the ribbons that were holding Piper down. She flexed her wrists and smiled. Immediately, Piper grabbed Leo and tackled him down to the bed. She sat on top of him and kissed him ardently. She kissed down his body and reached his hardness. Piper placed kisses all over it before taking it into her mouth.

"Piper," Leo hissed, running his hands through her hair.

She pulled it out after a moment and kissed back up his body. She straddled him and sunk down on him. They let out moans at the feeling. Piper started raising herself up and down on top of him. Leo grabbed onto her hips and made her go faster. Piper started panting. She pulled her hair up with one hand and placed the other hand on his chest. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she continued to ride him.

"You're so beautiful, baby." Leo said.

Piper bent down to kiss him. Shortly after, the couple moaned and groaned as they released their orgasms. Piper collapsed on Leo as they were both coming down from their highs. And that's how they fell asleep; in each other's arms with Leo still deep within her.

**How was this chapter? Very long and I thought after all their fighting, you guys deserved some Piper/Leo sex. Please tell me what you think. Thanks guys.**


	11. Just Stay Out of Danger

**I know, I know. It's been quite a while since I've updated. But, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Charmed at all. If I did, there would more Leo/Piper moments, and they wouldn't have been separated in Season 6.**

Leo woke up the next morning, underneath Piper. He gently tried to move her off of him, but remembered that he was still in her. Leo became hard at the realization.

"Mmm, Leo…" Piper mumbled.

He tried to pull out of her without waking her up, but his movements only turned Piper on even more.

"Don't stop." she whispered, and slowly started moving on top of him.

Leo grinned. Seeing as it was no use trying to stop, Leo flipped them over and quickly thrust into her. Piper's eyes flew open and she let out a moan.

"This is what you do to me." Leo grunted as he moved in and out.

"Uhhh, god, this feels so good." she ran her hands through her own hair as she rocked up and down to Leo's movements.

Leo grabbed one of her legs and threw it over his shoulder. Piper arched her body up to his and bit her lip as he went deeper. She grabbed onto the sheets and moaned loudly. The couple climaxed blissfully together a short while later.

"That was great." Leo fell beside her.

"What a way to wake up." Piper smiled.

"I tried to pull out of you, but every time I moved, you kept mumbling for me to keep going. So, I did." he said.

"I'm glad you did. That was amazing." she giggled and cuddled up to her husband.

"I love you." he smiled and kissed her.

"I love you, too." she whispered.

_o_

Somewhere in the underworld, factions were assembling together. The first group, which the Charmed Ones attacked about a week ago, were in a meeting to discuss their progress. Since most of the faction was vanquished, another faction had formed an alliance in order to rise in power.

"Boss, our plan failed. We did not get the witch." the demon spoke, nervously.

"Don't worry. We still have time. We'll execute another plan and this time, we'll get her." the darklighter smiled evilly. "She will be mine."

"How will we get her?" a fellow darklighter asked.

"We just have to keep them thinking that we're after the source's thrown. They'll be focused on that. Plus, we have the one thing that will destroy the witch's main concern: her husband."

"You're brilliant." another demon smiled.

"That's why I'm the boss." the darklighter said.

_o_

"They're calling. I have to go, honey." Leo said apologetically.

They were in the kitchen after breakfast.

"Oh, okay. Umm, come back soon?" Piper smiled.

"Okay." he smiled and kissed her before orbing out.

Piper sighed. She hated when the Elders would take Leo away. She never knew how long he'd be gone.

"Piper!" Phoebe ran in through the back door. "I got an A! I got an A!"

"That's great, Pheebs." Piper smiled.

"It's just so amazing. I only worked on this paper maybe like two hours and I got an A." Phoebe smiled.

"You're just that great of a writer." Piper hugged her sister.

"Well, thank you." Phoebe smiled. "Where's Prue?"

"She is up in the attic. She had some free time and wanted to look up factions." Piper answered.

"And you would not believe the kind of stuff I found out." Prue spoke as she walked into the kitchen, looking down at the book of shadows.

"What did you find?" Phoebe asked.

Prue sat down at the kitchen table and Phoebe sat down next to her. Piper stood behind Prue and looked with her.

"Well, everything that Cole said about factions was true. But, what he failed to mention was that most factions were assembled to help initiate a new demon or darklighter or whatever. He is most likely an innocent turned evil and the faction helps the new demon make his first kill." Prue said.

"Well, does that mean there are a lot of initiations going on in the underworld if factions are getting together?" Piper asked.

"No, factions can be compiled for different reasons." Prue answered. "And guess who is usually the demon's first kill."

"Let me guess: someone they know?" Phoebe asked warily.

"Yes. Someone that was important to them in their mortal life." Prue sighed.

"Great. So, how do we know that any of these factions were made for this reason?" Piper asked.

"There's one." Leo said as he orbed in. "The one you guys fought against. They were the initiation faction."

"How do you know?" Prue asked.

"The Elders foresaw another attack of the same faction, plus another that has teamed up with it. You need to be prepared for this. It could get pretty bad." Leo said.

"How bad?" Piper asked.

Phoebe touched the book of shadows, the page with the factions on it, and suddenly, she was pulled into a premonition. Leo, Piper, and Prue watched her intently, waiting for her to come out of it. Less than a minute later, Phoebe opened her eyes.

"Pheebs?" Prue spoke. "What did you see?"

"Uh, I saw the attack." Phoebe breathed. "I saw…a darklighter."

Piper's breath hitched. She hated every kind of demon out there for ruining her normal life, but if there's one type of evil she loathe the most, it's darklighters. Phoebe looked at Leo with sad eyes.

"I saw him shoot you." she said. "And after that, they all left. As if that was all they wanted to do."

"Maybe that's all they needed to do." Prue spoke up. "I mean, get rid of our whitelighter and we're defenseless."

"Well, that's not gonna happen because you're going to leave." Piper articulated directly at Leo.

"Piper, I'm not leaving. What if you need me?" Leo said.

"Need you to get hurt? I don't think so." she shook her head. "Leo, you're not going to be here because you seem to be their target. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

"Piper-" he tried.

"Do I have to freeze you and make one of 'them' take you up there?" she jokingly threatened.

Leo sighed and realized he couldn't win against the Halliwell stubbornness. He nodded solemnly.

"Good. Now, come here." Piper opened her arms out to him.

Leo walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. She hugged him back, silently praying for his safety.

"Do I have to leave now?" he whispered.

"I think the sooner the better." she answered.

"If you're going to make me go up there, then I'm staying for at least another hour." he looked at her.

"Leo-" she started.

"Do you want me to orb out of here with no promises of coming back?" Leo persisted.

She sighed. Piper knew he was just as stubborn as she was.

"It'll be okay, Piper." Phoebe chimed in. "It was a night thing."

"That's good to know. At least we have time to think of a plan." Piper didn't tear her eyes away from Leo.

"But before we do," Phoebe held up her ethics paper. "look at my grade, Prue!"

Everyone smiled at the optimist beaming over her paper.

_o_

"Piper," Leo spoke gently from the closet doorway.

"Hmm?" she was knelt down on the floor, rummaging through her shoes.

"If I'm leaving, I want you to know that if they don't get me today-" he started.

"No, I don't want to hear this." she stood up from the floor.

"Piper," he spun her around to look at him. "you need to hear it. If I'm their target, then they'll be back to get me. Do you understand? They won't stop until they get me."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked teary-eyed. "Why won't you let me protect you?"

"Honey, you can't protect me from this forever." he pulled her closer to him. "They'll keep coming. Sending me away won't solve today's problem."

"So, what am I supposed to do, then? Just let you stay here and let you get killed?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Piper, if I have to leave today, I can't come back until all threats are gone. I can't return until they are all vanquished." Leo spoke gently.

"But that'll take, I don't even know how long." she gasped slightly.

"I know. But, it's either that or I stay here. I prefer to stay here because I could heal you guys if you get hurt. Plus, I'd be here with you."

"But, Leo, what if you get shot?" she asked.

"I will orb out of the arrow's way. I'll be really careful." he said calmly.

"Why can't you come back until they're all gone?" Piper asked.

"Because the Elders are stubborn about the way they protect us. I can't keep orbing in and out of safety." Leo sighed.

"So, either you stay here, where it's dangerous or you stay up there for who knows how long." she clarified.

"It's up to you to choose." he ran his hand across her cheek.

"I want you with me, but I don't want you to get hurt." she said, barely above a whisper.

"I would much rather stay here." he smiled.

Piper closed her eyes to think without having to see his face. She wanted him as close to her as she could get, but at what cost? If Leo was hurt, she'd never forgive herself.

"Leo, I can't be selfish and keep you here." she looked down at the floor. "It's just not right. If you were to get hurt, I'd die myself."

He was quiet for a moment. So quiet, she was sure that he was angry with her decision. She was surprised when he lifted her head up to his and kissed her passionately. She pressed her body against his as his tongue slid comfortably in her mouth. Piper moaned, knowing exactly where this was going. Leo's hands cut paths through her hair and down her back. Her hands slowly went under his shirt and over his back muscles.

"Leo," she breathlessly pulled away. "I don't think this is a good time to be doing this."

"Which is precisely why we should do this." he replied. "This is our last time for who knows how long."

"Right, but still. Prue and Phoebe will probably need me at any moment." she tried to reason as Leo slipped his hands up her shirt.

"They'll be alright. Please? You sound like you don't want me anymore." he trailed his voice into a seductive manner.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I want you, Leo. I just think it's not a good time right now." she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Okay." he sighed. "I guess it'll be worth the wait when I get back, huh?"

"You better believe it." Piper grinned. "Plus, we are the kick-ass Charmed Ones. We'll get this whole thing done in a few days tops."

"And then I'll come home straight to you." he whispered.

"Yes, you will." she kissed him softly, but for a while. "I love you."

"I love you, too." he kissed her forehead.

And with one more loving look, Leo orbed out of the manor, and out of Piper's arms. She sighed in sorrow, and left the room to see what her sisters were up to.

**Kind of short, I know. But, the next chapter will be full of action. Don't worry, Leo's coming back; he won't be gone too long. Some distance between two lovers keeps things fresh and makes for an interesting twist in plots. *hint hint* Just wait 'til the next chapter to find out what I mean. Please review. Thanks guys.**


	12. A Revelation to Shock

**So incredibly sorry for the long, long wait. School may be out, but there's still a lot of stuff going on. But, I always make time for you all.**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews. It's what keeps me going, although if others are reading this story and not reviewing, please review. I need to know you guys are reading. Alright. Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. Please enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charmed is not mine. I own nothing.**

"Okay, what have we got?" Piper asked walking into the attic.

"We've got spells, and potions, and…where's Leo?" Phoebe replied.

"Up there." Piper sighed, glancing towards the ceiling. "I told him to go, just in case."

"Oh. Don't worry, Piper, we'll get this done in no time." Phoebe smiled.

"Forever an optimist." Piper slightly chuckled. "Thank you."

"Well, I've got the spell done." Prue wrote the last of the spell down and looked up at her sisters. "I've combined spells used on demons and spells for darklighters so that it wipes out the whole faction."

"Great. And I've got the potion done." Phoebe spoke. "The strongest one we have. It's mixed for both demons and darklighters."

"You two are brilliant, really." Piper praised her sisters.

"Why thank you." Prue beamed.

Phoebe smiled. Just as Piper and Phoebe finished bottling up the potions, there was a huge crash coming from downstairs. The three ran out of the attic and down the stairs to find their living room full of demons.

"Ready to die, witches?" a demon snarled.

"Question is: are you?" Prue retorted.

"Where's your whitelighter?" another demon asked.

"Safe from you." Piper replied.

"Oh, we'll get him next time. You can't save him from us forever." the demon smiled evilly.

"Wanna bet?" Phoebe spoke before throwing potions at them.

Some demons were vanquished as others started fighting back. Prue flung some across the room with the wave of her hand while Piper and Phoebe continued throwing potions. Prue started reciting the spell and more demons went up in flames. Throughout all the chaos, the leader of the faction stood aside and watched the witches fight. He had his eye on the witch he wanted. The darklighter transported himself behind her and was about to grab her when she turned around. She tried to freeze him, but he caught her wrists.

"Let me go!" she screamed at him.

"Cease!" he shouted and all the demons came to a halt.

They all looked at their leader. Prue and Phoebe looked as well. The darklighter took off his mask and Piper gasped in tremendous shock.

"No. No, this can't be true." she shook her head.

Prue and Phoebe were just as shocked. The darklighter grinned.

"I've been wanting to tell you for a while. But, I wasn't exactly sure how you would handle it." he spoke.

"You're the one thing I hate the most in this world. How did you think I would react?" Piper spat.

"You're looking at this all wrong." he said. "I'm powerful enough to give you everything you've ever wanted. We can be together now with no secrets."

"You have nothing that I want. I don't want to be with you." she said in disgust.

"Come on, Piper. I'm way better than your whitelighter. This is why I became a darklighter. So I can get rid of him and there will be nothing stopping you from being with me." he smiled, as if it was a good thing.

"You think that killing my husband would make me love you again?" Piper roared. "You're delusional if you think getting rid of Leo would EVER make me go back to you, Dan."

"That's not what you said at lunch yesterday. You asked me if you could come back to me if you and Leo were no more. That's why I'm doing this. So you and I can be together once more." Dan said.

"I meant come to you as a friend. But now I wouldn't even do that. You're evil, and I don't do evil." Piper said as she yanked her wrists out of his grip. She back away until she stood with her sisters. "I can't believe you would do this. I feel nothing for you anymore."

Piper quickly froze every demon in the room, then unfroze Dan's head so he could watch what was about to happen. Piper took her sisters hands and started reciting the spell. Prue and Phoebe hurriedly jumped in and the entire faction was decimated. Piper looked at Dan, who was still partially frozen.

"So all this time, you've been playing me?" she asked.

"Anything I told you was true, Piper." Dan replied.

"This is your hunting job that takes you all over the place? What about at the party? And at lunch? You were just faking. All this time I thought I was safe with you." Piper was furious.

"You _are _safe with me." he said. Piper scoffed. "Nothing can hurt you when you're with me."

"You've already hurt me, Dan. I trusted you." she said in a disappointed and distressed voice.

"Piper, please-" he started.

She raised her hand up to silence him. Prue and Phoebe joined her in saying the spell once again, and Dan caught flames.

"I love you, Piper!" he shouted. "I always will."

And with that, he was gone; a puff of smoke left in his place. Piper hung her head with tears in her eyes. Prue and Phoebe wrapped her in a hug.

"Are you okay, Pippy?" Phoebe asked.

"He betrayed me. I will never be okay with that." Piper answered, wiping her eyes.

"Honey, when you said that you feel nothing for him anymore, did that mean-" Prue looked at her younger sister.

"I always loved him. I thought I always would." Piper walked over to the couch and sat down. The other two followed. "But, to know that he became a darklighter, just to kill Leo, it changed my feelings for him completely."

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." Phoebe said quietly, and tucked a strand of Piper's hair behind her ear.

"Me too." Piper sighed. "I just don't know how to deal with all of this right now."

"Do you want to be alone?" Phoebe asked.

"No." Piper snuggled into her sisters' embraces. "I could use Leo too right about now, but I don't know when they'll send him back."

Prue kissed Piper on the head and the three sisters sat on the couch together. Piper sat in the middle with her legs across Phoebe's legs and her head on Prue's shoulder. She held both their hands in her lap. Phoebe tucked her legs underneath her and had her head on Piper. Prue rested her feet on the coffee table and laid her head back against the couch. They stayed like that, relaxing after the day's events and comforting Piper.

While sitting there in silence, Piper replayed the battle in her head. She just couldn't get over the fact that Dan was a darklighter. He tried to kill Leo, just to get her back. As if with Leo dead, Piper would do anything. She was glad that the threat against him was over, but when will he come back? A part of her knew she should have just let him stay, but Dan surely would have killed him. Piper sighed. She wanted her husband.

_o_

Several hours later, Piper woke up on the couch by herself. She noticed that the mess from the demon attack was already cleaned up. She stretched, then searched for her sisters. They were in the conservatory, watching TV. They looked up when Piper walked in.

"Hey, sweetie." Prue smiled.

"Hey." she smiled back.

"How you feeling?" Phoebe asked.

"Okay, I guess. I mean, I'll never be alright with what Dan did, but it's over now." Piper replied.

"Yeah, now everything is as it was before." Prue said.

"Not exactly as it was before." Piper sighed.

"Honey, if we didn't vanquish him, he would have probably done something bad." Phoebe spoke.

"I know." Piper nodded. "Still, I wish we could have saved him."

No one said anything after that. Piper left the conservatory and went into the kitchen. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the island. It was going take some time for her to accept the 'Dan' ordeal. The sting in her heart will soon feel like a slight pinch. It just takes some time.

_o_

The next morning, Piper opened her eyes to see she was in bed alone. Leo still hadn't come back. She sighed. She dreadfully needed his comforting words and sweet kisses. The faction was gone, and the threat was over. So, where the hell was he? Piper raked a hand through her hair and got out of bed. She got dressed for the day and went downstairs.

"Hey, Piper." Phoebe smiled.

"Hey, Pheebs." Piper said with a small smile.

"Where's Leo?" Prue asked.

"Still not here." Piper poured herself a cup of coffee. "I don't get it! The stupid attack is done and over with. Leo is safe now. Why won't they let him come back?"

"Because the threat is not over." Cole shimmered in.

"What do you mean?" Prue asked. "We got rid of the whole faction."

"There's one more." he said. "Well, the other half of the first one. They split up, just in case you took out the entire first half and they needed to collect more power."

"Wow. They're smarter than we thought." Phoebe said, slightly surprised.

"Oh, you know what?" Piper was getting irritated. "We are going to make some more of those potions, get that spell, and go kill the rest of those lowlife bastards."

She left the kitchen in a hasty manner and continued to the attic. Prue, Phoebe, and Cole followed shortly after.

_o_

After gathering their weapons and tracking what's left of the faction, the Charmed Ones and the ex-demon took a trip to the underworld. They found the demons in their own little cave.

"Alright." Piper spoke quietly. "Let's nail these son-of-a-bitches to the wall."

Prue and Phoebe exchanged glances before the four of them entered the cave. Blasts and screams echoed off the walls as they killed the remainder of demons. The girls basked in their glory of another great vanquish, before shimmering back home.

"That was some major ass-kicking, you guys." Phoebe grinned.

"Yeah, that was great." Cole slung an arm around Phoebe.

"Just another day in our lives." Prue lightly chuckled.

It was quiet for a while. Everyone looked at Piper, who had started to cook brunch. She was unusually quiet; and they knew why.

"He'll be back, soon, Piper." Phoebe tried.

Piper closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't look up at their worried gazes.

"I know it's only been a day. But, after everything that went down…" she shook her head. "I never knew just how much I depended on his comfort until now."

It was quiet for a moment again. No one knew what to say, but Piper didn't want anyone's advice anyway. She just wanted Leo.

Hours later, they were all in the living room watching a movie. It was some action-comedy that Piper wasn't really paying attention to. The day was dragging on. She always felt like this when Leo had to leave for a few days because of his whitelighter work, but she never complained about how much it irked her. The movie came to an end and Prue, Phoebe, and Cole were making plans to go to the mall. They all agreed to just wait calmly until Leo's return, but they knew Piper was getting restless. Piper resisted to go out with them, but Prue and Phoebe weren't taking 'no' for an answer.

"Alright, alright. I'm going." Piper chuckled as her sisters were practically pushing her out of the door before she changed her mind.

She was pulling her jacket on, facing the door, with Prue and Phoebe standing in front of her. Phoebe looked over Piper's shoulder and her face broke out into a grin.

"Umm, Piper. On second thought, you don't have to come." Phoebe spoke.

"Are you kidding me?" Piper sighed in disbelief. "After all that 'persuading' and I already got my jacket on."

Prue's face brightened when she saw what Phoebe saw. Cole glanced as well. They all looked at her with huge smiles on their faces. Piper was getting a little freaked out.

"What is wrong with you guys?" she asked warily.

No one responded. Suddenly, Piper jumped a little when she felt two arms wrap around her waist and a weight on her left shoulder.

"What's going on?" Leo asked, his chin resting on his wife's shoulder.

"Well, we," Phoebe pointed to herself, Cole, and Prue. "are going to the mall. You and Piper can be alone."

"Bye!" Cole shouted.

"Nice to have you back, Leo!" Prue smiled as the three of them left the manor.

Leo smiled as he watched them leave. Once the door closed, he turned his attention back to Piper. She hadn't moved since she noted his presence.

"Are you not happy to see me?" Leo asked quietly.

She still didn't say anything. He let her go to turn her to face him, but she spun around and pulled his head to hers and kissed him passionately. Surprised, he kissed her back. They stood there, just kissing, until Piper pulled away and hugged him tightly.

"It was so hard not having you here to run to." she mumbled into his chest.

"I'm sorry." Leo wrapped his arms securely around her. "They wouldn't tell me anything that happened. I wasn't allowed to watch, either. They worried that I would risk protection just to help you."

"I know you would have." she said. "But, I wish you had watched. It was just too much."

"What happened, honey?" he pulled away slightly to look at her.

"The faction was led by Dan." she spoke. Leo's eyes widened in shock, obviously not expecting to hear that. "He became a darklighter to get rid of you so that I would go back to him. I was so disappointed in him. He told me he still loved me. But, I ended up vanquishing him. It took longer than we thought because the faction was split in half and we had to take every last one out."

Piper had tears in her eyes. Leo kissed her forehead and hugged her comfortingly.

"It's okay, baby. It's over. You did what you had to do." he tried to soothe her. "I'm sorry it was hard on you."

"It was so unexpected. After all that happened, though, I wished I could have saved him." she sobbed into his chest.

Leo didn't know what to say. If she knew Dan still loved her and she wanted to save him, what did that mean? Plus, Leo couldn't admit to her that he was happy Dan was dead. So, what could he say to make her feel better?

"I'm sorry." was all he had.

**Well, there is chapter 12, all done! How did you like this one? It took me a while to figure out how to write it, but I did it. Please, please, please tell me what you think. Your reviews mean the world to me. Thanks guys.**


	13. Trauma Queen

**So tremendously sorry for the long, long, long wait! I've been so busy, but here you go. Next chapter. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed.**

A little over a week since the 'Dan' thing had gone by; no one talked about it. Piper would always get sensitive about the subject. Clearly, something was off. When Piper wasn't obsessing over how guilty and blind she had been about Dan's intentions, she was unusually chipper. Everyone was starting to worry about her; as a matter of fact, it scared them. This bubbly, always smiling, no worries woman was not the woman everyone in the Halliwell Manor loved.

_o_

It was midday on a warm Friday, and Piper was sitting at the bar in the club doing inventory. Phoebe was at class and Prue and Cole were at work. Leo had been called away that morning, and she didn't want to be alone, so Piper decided to spend the day at P3.

"Dominick, did the last shipment come in?" Piper turned to her night manager. He was there to help her with the inventory. "The one with the swizzle sticks? I counted the stock in the back and there's only six boxes."

"That was yesterday's shipment, right? I put them with the shipment of napkins we ordered a week ago. Their against the wall by your office." Dominick answered, while going over last night's income on the computer.

"Okay, thanks!" Piper smiled brightly.

She jumped off the bar stool and proceeded to her office with her clipboard. While counting the boxes, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. She jumped a little and spun around. Fear melted away into excitement.

"Leo!" she flung her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

"I saw you this morning!" he chuckled.

"Still, any time away from you is torture." she grinned.

"Piper, are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm fine, silly. I just miss my husband." she spoke before pulling his head down for a kiss.

Leo was surprised but kissed her back. Her strange behavior was making him worry. She was never this hyper. Reluctantly, Leo pulled away. He looked into her eyes, as if searching for something. Piper giggled.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he smiled. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Never better." she smiled and went back to doing inventory.

Leo stood there and watched her hum a song as she worked. After a minute, Piper turned to face him.

"How long are you here for?" she asked.

"Uh, until they call." he answered.

"Good. Can you help me put these boxes into the back office?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure." he smiled.

After all the boxes of napkins and swizzle sticks were in the stock room, Leo sat at the bar. He looked around.

"Where did Dominick go?" he asked out loud.

"He's gone." he turned to see Piper at the foot of the stairs, wearing a smile. "I told him to go, you know, since you're here to help me out."

"Oh, okay." Leo turned back to the bar and grabbed a bottle of water.

Piper walked over to him and spun him around in his seat. She pulled him by his shirt to her and kissed him hard. Leo, who was shocked at first, kissed her back just as passionately, pulling her closer by her waist. All of a sudden, Piper pulled away with tears trickling down her face.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Leo asked with concern.

"It's, just…I love you so much." she sobbed. "You're so good to me and...I'm just afraid…"

"What, baby?" he wiped her wet cheeks.

"Nothing, never mind." she walked away from him.

Leo followed her into her office. She frantically wiped at her eyes.

"Piper, what's going on with you?" he urged her.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." she sobbed.

"Clearly there is something wrong. Piper, this isn't like you." Leo took a step forward. "I just wanna help you."

Piper took a step back. Her mind was a jumble of things she couldn't quite comprehend. She shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about this with you. I don't…I don't want to talk to you." she said, tears still falling from her eyes.

Leo froze. Why was she shutting him out? One minute, they are making out like love struck teenagers, and then the next, she was giving him the cold shoulder. His heart was trying to reach out to her. There was something seriously troubled in Piper if she didn't even let Leo in.

"Okay." he backed off. "If that's how you want it, then I'm happy to oblige."

Piper turned her back to Leo before he orbed away. She sat on the couch in her office and cried herself to sleep.

_o_

Prue and Phoebe sat in the living room with Cole. They were waiting for Leo to arrive. A swirl of orbs descended into the living room.

"Good, Leo. You're here." Prue spoke.

"What's going on?" he asked as he looked around at everyone.

"We all know something's not right with Piper." Prue started.

"And we need to help her fix whatever it is." Phoebe continued. "But, that's going to be hard to do since she won't talk to us."

"So we were thinking that maybe you could try to branch out to her." Cole finished speaking.

"I tried." Leo sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "But she won't let even me in. I was at the club today and I was helping her with the inventory. Everything was okay, except for the fact that she is beyond happy, but then she started crying, and I couldn't get her to tell me why. Then she said she didn't want to talk to me about it, she didn't want to talk to me at all." Leo sat on the couch beside Phoebe.

"Oh, this isn't good." Prue sighed.

"I know. How are we going to help her?" Leo asked desperately.

Before anyone could respond, the front door opened and closed. Piper walked in and saw everyone in the living room.

"Hey, guys!" she smiled brightly, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

"Hi, Piper." Phoebe said slowly.

"What's going on?" Piper asked.

"Nothing. What's up with you?" Prue responded. Bad choice of words.

"Nothing! God, nothing's up!" Piper suddenly burst.

She left the living room and ran into the kitchen.

"Okay, that is not normal." Cole said.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Phoebe asked.

"If I only knew." Leo buried his face in his hands.

It was like walking on pins and needles again. But instead of losing her memory, Piper was jumpy and moody. Everyone was dying to figure out why.

"Hey. Did you find anything?" Prue asked walking into the attic.

"No. I can't find anything relevant to Piper's behavior." Phoebe replied, not taking her eyes off of the book of shadows.

"Well, that's not good." Prue sighed, moving to stand next to her baby sister.

"I know. But, you know, it got me to thinking; what if Dan is the cause of Piper's behavior? I mean, what if the trauma of his actions caused something in her mind to malfunction?" Phoebe brainstormed.

"Do you really think so?" Prue asked. "Can that really affect her this way?"

"Pysch 101, it's possible. Or I may be jumping to conclusions." Phoebe shrugged.

"No, don't rule it out just yet. Keep looking into it. That's probably what's going on here." Prue stated.

"Okay." Phoebe closed the book of shadows, and went downstairs to grab her psychology book.

_o_

Leo sat on the Golden Gate Bridge staring at the cars that zoomed by and the slowly trembling bay of San Francisco. His mind didn't register what he was looking at, since it was focusing on other things.

He left right after dinner. Piper didn't talk to him at all - she barely even looked at him. Knife to his heart it was like, to see her closed off to him. He just wanted to know why she was so distraught, and to help her smile genuinely again. But, she won't let him in. And it hurt. What was a husband to do when his wife wanted nothing to do with him?

He heard the familiar jingle in his head. For a fleeting minute, he thought it was Piper. Unfortunately, it was another Halliwell sister. A sigh escaped his lips as he orbed to the Manor. There, sitting in the den, was Prue and Phoebe. The look on their faces was not one he wanted to see.

"What's up?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Leo, I think we know what's going on with Piper." Phoebe said. She gestured towards the couch, signaling him to sit.

Hesitantly, he took a seat next to Prue. After a deep breath, Phoebe started speaking.

"Okay. After dinner, I went to check the book to see if it was some demon or something, but I found nothing related to Piper's behavior. So, I did a little research in the non-magical world." Phoebe held up her psychology book.

"See, we think that Piper is acting strangely because of…Dan." Prue continued. The two noticed when Leo sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of Dan's name.

"What's he got to do with this? He's dead." his face contorted into confusion, with a flicker of anger.

"Well, it's not exactly him; it's what he did. The trauma of his attack and then talking about killing you and taking her to his side pushed her over the edge to eccentric behavior." Phoebe explained.

"But, why is this particular attack so significant?" Leo asked. "Demons make threats like that all the time. Piper never acts like this after every battle."

"Not all demons are someone she loved and trusted." Prue pointed out. "The shock of Dan being a darklighter triggered her mind to act differently. He was someone that could take you away from her forever and that frightened her. He tried to lure Piper to evil and that scared her, too. She had to vanquish someone she loved, and that broke her heart."

Leo was quiet for a moment, soaking in every word that Prue uttered. This was why Piper was so unhappy when she explained what had happened to him the day he came back. It explained why Piper was clinging to Leo even more than usual. Her heart had been betrayed by someone she loved. It was hard for Leo to accept that.

"I guess I never saw it like that." Leo chuckled in a humorless way. "After Piper and I had gotten back together, I blocked out the fact that she ever loved Dan to the point that I completely forgot she did. I didn't remember how much she loved him, not even when he came back into our lives and I was blind to her broken heart."

"Hey, Leo, don't beat yourself up about it. None of us understood what was happening. But, now that we do, we need to help her, even if she doesn't want it." Phoebe spoke up.

"So, how do you know exactly what's happening to her?" Leo asked, full of concern.

"Well, according to my psychology book, it's called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Phoebe read from the opened page in her book. "It's a condition following trauma. It's a psychological condition in which people are affected from suffering severe emotional trauma. This is a result from an experience such as combat, crime, or natural disaster; in this case, combat. Some causes from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are sleep disturbances, flashbacks, anxiety, tiredness, and depression."

"We know Piper has showed some of those symptoms." Prue said. "Plus, there's another reason why Piper is taking this so hard."

"What reason is that?" Phoebe asked. Leo was curious as well.

"You may not remember this, I barely even do. It was back when we were all leading completely separate lives, but one time, Piper had fallen in love with this one guy in college. Even though we all barely spoke, I knew there was something wrong with him. Anyway, Piper wasn't ready for any intimacy, but he kept pushing her. She finally gave in but he was already screwing somebody behind her back. Her heart was shattered. She confronted him about it and he went ballistic; he hurt her." Prue explained.

"Oh, yeah. I remember this. She came home totally beaten." Phoebe recalled. "She told us that it was him, what was his name…Uh, Tony. And that was when she became even more closed off from men than she was before. It took her a long time to trust any guy after that."

"Yeah, and then there was Jeremy." Prue sighed. "Piper's had the longest and hardest road in love. It's no surprise that she's acting this way; she's had enough damage done to her heart. She's reached the end of her rope."

"I couldn't imagine going through all of that heartache. And it's weird, Piper's the biggest sweetheart I know. She doesn't even talk about any of it and she acts like nothing's happened to her." Phoebe spoke with a hint of admiration for her sister's bravery in her voice. "She doesn't deserve any kind of pain."

The sisters looked over at Leo, who remained quiet throughout the walk down memory lane. His face was unreadable, but his jaw was clenched into a tight square.

"Leo?" Prue spoke gently.

"I'm gonna kill 'em." he hissed.

"Who?" Phoebe asked in concern.

"I'm gonna hunt his ass down and kill him. How could he hurt Piper? How could _anyone _hurt _my_ girl?" his eyes were full of rage.

"Leo, calm down, okay? There's no point in killing Tony." Phoebe tried to soothe him. "Right now, we have to help Piper before something bad happens to her."

"I agree. Besides, there's only one guy I know that Piper loves and trusts more than anything in this world and I know he could never hurt her in any way." Prue smiled.

"Yeah, who's that? " Leo asked, unintentionally forgetting it was him.

"You." Phoebe slightly chuckled at his obliviousness. "We all know that Piper's heart has been kicked around before and that has left her cold and afraid of trusting any guy that comes into her life. But, you are the only exception. So, embrace it; it's an honor."

"Okay, so now that we know what's wrong, how do we help her?" Leo asked, determined to get his wife out of this trap she's in. He glanced between Prue and Phoebe, waiting for an answer.

"It will take some time before she is back to her normal self." Prue started.

"But, we get her to talk first." Phoebe finished her sister's sentence.

**How did you like this chapter? Good plot? I know there wasn't much fluff, but don't worry, the next chapter will have lots! Let me know how I'm doing! It's been so long since I updated this story, but I just never found the time for it. I didn't give up on it, though. I hope you enjoyed this story and please review. Thanks guys.**


	14. Pushed Away to Protect

**Voila! Chapter 14 is here! Oh, and there is some sex in this one. Fair warning. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I have no authority over Charmed. Unfortunately, it's not my property.**

Leo nodded and slowly got up from the couch. He made his way to the stairs. He looked at Prue and Phoebe once more for some reassurance. They both nodded, signaling him to continue. He began to climb the stairs up to the bedroom he shared with Piper. What was he going to say to her? How was he going to go about this? These questions, along with many others, reverberated through his mind. Was she going to push him away even more? Was she going to lash out on him? Was she going to cry? He never could stand to see her cry; it was his undoing. Sooner than he was ready for, Leo stood outside their bedroom.

He took a few deep breaths before he opened the door. At first, he didn't see Piper, but then he caught sight of her sitting on the couch by the window, staring out into the street. She hadn't noticed him come into the room. Leo took a few hesitant steps closer to her.

"Piper?" he called out to her. She jumped and whipped around to face him.

He could see traces of tears on her cheeks in the dimly lit bedroom. It broke his heart to see her so vulnerable. Slowly, Leo moved over to sit where Piper was sitting. He put a little distance between them, but that didn't seem to be enough; she scooted a bit further away, causing his heart to ache. Piper acted as if she was repulsed to be near him. She placed her palms against the couch on either side of her thighs as she sat there, staring at the floor. He swallowed the small lump that was forming in his throat.

"Piper, baby," he began in a soft yet shaky voice, but then was at a loss for words. "Please…please just talk to me."

She remained quiet as tears cut paths down her cheeks. She wouldn't look at him.

"I hate to see you like this. I love you, please let me in." Leo said, placing a hand lightly on her back. She jumped up instantly, as if his touch burned her. That stung.

Piper quickly crossed her arms over her chest defensively and made her way to the other side of the room, knowing Leo's hurt-filled eyes were following her. She didn't know what to do. She was scared - frightened - to be close to Leo. Lately, she feared being around him. She was afraid of trusting him. What she didn't realize was how much it hurt Leo to see her push him away.

"Piper." he used a tone she knew all too well; it made her flinch. Leo stood up from the couch. "I want to help you. I want you to look at me like you used to. I want to know that you love me enough to come to me when you're scared. But, if you don't want me around anymore, just say so because I am not interested in being isolated from your heart. It pains me and I'm not sure I have a place in your life right now."

The words Leo spoke brought tears to Piper's eyes. She wasn't pushing him away intentionally, she had to. It was the only way. But, some of what he said weren't true. She did want him around her and he had the biggest place in her life; but, it was too hard to be close to him.

"You are my wife, and I want to be here for you." Leo sighed. "But I can't stand being pushed away. You let me know when you want me to be here for you."

Piper still had her back to him, but she knew what he was about to do. Her heart raced in her chest as she quickly turned around, seeing him begin to disappear in orbs.

"No!" she ran toward him, stopping him from leaving. "No, Leo. Please, don't leave. Please!"

Leo stopped orbing and looked at Piper's tear-stained face. She grabbed onto his shirt to keep him from leaving. He felt guilty for lying to her; he wasn't going to actually leave. But, she was finally looking at him, touching him, and talking to him. It was worth the little white lie. He placed his hands on her cheeks, wiping away the tears.

"What is it that you want, Piper?" he asked softly, hoping to coax more out of her.

"Don't leave." she whispered.

She buried her face into his chest and openly cried. Leo's arms wove around her body, cradling her to him. At least she was letting him hold her; it was a sign that she didn't completely shut him out. Piper's arms came around his neck and she held him closer, inhaling the sweet scent he always had. It felt so good to be in his arms.

They stood there in silence - besides her slight sniffles - and held each other. When Leo thought she was better than before, he loosened his grip on her. Piper immediately clung tighter and looked up at his face in fear that he might leave now. He smiled that sweet smile that always made her heart skip a beat. She smiled weakly in return, and glanced down at his damp chest.

"I'm sorry for your shirt." she whispered.

"You know I don't care." he whispered back, wiping her face again. "Feel better?"

She took a deep breath and smiled with a nod of her head. Leo let her go and took a step out of her embrace. Piper worried and reached a hand out to him. He quickly grabbed it and intertwined their fingers. He led her over to the bed and they sat down, putting some distance between themselves.

"Are you ready to talk to me?" he asked, doubting she would.

"Leo," she looked down at their hands, still laced together. "I don't know what to tell you."

It was a lie. She knew exactly what was bothering her, but she didn't want to tell him. She was frightened out of her mind that it would influence his actions. He would probably promise that he was different, like the rest of them did, and then he would break her heart. Piper was very well aware that her heart was already fragile and the guys in the past have hurt her terribly, but if Leo were to ever betray her, that would be it. She never thought she could love anyone as intensely as she loved Leo. She wouldn't be able to come back from that.

"Honey," he lifted her chin to lock his eyes with hers. "I know…about what had happened to you in the past. I know how afraid you are of trusting anyone. I wish they could all be punished by my hand, but everything that has happened was meant to happen. If you didn't go through all of that, we probably wouldn't be here right now, together. I know that probably doesn't make you feel better but-"

Leo was interrupted when Piper let go of his hand and slowly climbed onto his lap, straddling his thighs and wrapping her arms around his neck. Surprised, Leo placed his hands on her hips.

"It does make me feel better to know that my past led me to you." she spoke quietly. "But the sting is still there. It hurts to know that every guy I fall in love with ends up breaking my heart. It scares me that it will always happen to me."

"Piper, that won't happen again. I'm right here, with no intentions of hurting you in any way." he looked into her eyes, hoping to show how honest he was being. "I will never betray your trust, I promise. I love you."

Piper closed her eyes. There was the promise, the one that they all made to her. She didn't know whether to trust him or not. What if he ended up hurting her? No, this is Leo. He's an angel for crying out loud. He would never hurt her. Problem solved. Piper felt him wrap his arms around her waist tightly. She opened her eyes to look into his worried ones.

"I love you, too. I love you so much." she smiled.

She could tell by the way his eyes softened and the way his body relaxed against hers that he was beyond relieved to hear her say that. He pulled her closer.

"Never stop telling me that." he smiled.

"Never stop telling me, either." she replied.

Leo was hesitant to kiss her, not knowing exactly how much they had accomplished since coming to talk to her. Piper could see the struggle he was having to keep his lips away from her, and it warmed her heart to know that he would sacrifice his desires for her comfort. She eased his mind when she leaned in and kissed him gently on his sweet lips. Wanting more, she parted her lips against his, satisfied when she felt him do the same. Piper tightened her arms around his neck as the kiss ignited sparks in her, just as it always did. She gently ground her hips into his as she scooted closer. Leo groaned softly against her lips as her movements caused his body to react to her. Piper could feel him come alive under her and it turned her on. When it came to Leo, something came over her and she had to be as close to him as she could get. When they needed air to breathe, they pulled away.

"Piper, are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to." he breathed as she slipped her hands under his shirt and pulled it over his head.

"I want to. I want you to love me." she replied.

He was hesitant at first, but then gently removed her shirt from her body. He pulled her hair out of the ponytail and ran his fingers through its silky strands. She pulled his head to hers and kissed him passionately. Leo laid back on the bed, then rolled over so that he was on top. He left her lips to kiss her neck. Piper's eyes were closed in ecstasy. She could feel his hands sliding over her body. She moved her hands to the waistline of his jeans. She undid his belt buckle, then opened up his jeans. Sliding them down his legs, she left him in only his boxers. Piper moaned as Leo sucked on her weak spot. Soon, she was only clothed in her bra and underwear. The feel of Leo's bare skin against hers made her moan and wriggle against him. In return, she felt his erection press into her.

"Mmm, Leo," Piper breathed.

He just smiled and unhooked her bra, throwing it aside. Leo looked over her chest and smiled.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked as he leaned down to kiss a trail down to her breasts.

All Piper could do was whimper and thread her fingers through his hair. When she was with Leo, she could push the world around her away and forget all her fears and problems. That was one of the things she loved about Leo - he could make her feel nothing but bliss. He took her left nipple into his mouth and gently sucked. Piper arched her back off the bed, moaning his name. Leo groaned as a result of her moaning. He kissed his way to the right side and repeated the task. His hand ran slowly up her leg and to her panties. He could feel how wet she was. This realization made him even harder, if it was possible. Leo's fingers began to stroke her over her panties.

"Umph," Piper moaned, raising her hips. "harder."

Leo sat up to look at her as he applied more pressure to her clit. She arched up off the bed again and grabbed onto the pillows and sheets around her. Her eyes were shut as she bit her lip, feeling an orgasm course through her body. Leo loved what he was seeing. He moved her underwear to the side and inserted a finger into her. She was tight. Piper groaned at the feeling. He pumped his finger in and out of her as he continued to rub her clit.

"Oh, don't stop. Please, don't stop!" she moaned as she grinded against his hand.

Leo was in heaven, watching her body react to his fingers. Just when Piper was about to release, Leo quickly pulled his fingers out of her and sat there, between her legs, with a huge grin on his face. Piper groaned at the loss and reached her hand down to her center. Leo smiled and pushed her hand away.

"That's my job, remember." he teased in a seductive voice.

"You didn't finish your job." she replied breathlessly.

"Ah, that's where you're wrong." he smirked. "I've just begun."

Piper sucked in a sharp breath as she felt his hand slowly slide up and down between her legs. Leo moved down to her center and gently kissed her there. He pulled her panties off before kissing her again.

"Leo," she moaned, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

He took his time pleasuring her with his tongue, and this time, let her ride out her orgasm. Leo thought that maybe this wasn't the right time to be doing this, but if Piper wanted it, he wasn't going to argue. Piper laid there on the bed, panting after hitting her high. Leo kissed up her body, then finally kissed her waiting lips. Instantly, Piper's tongue penetrated his mouth, fighting with his tongue. She ran her hands over his strong back and reached his boxers. She pushed them down his legs and he kicked them off. Piper stopped kissing him and looked down between them to see his full hardness. Leo smiled down at her.

"Like what you see?" he asked breathlessly.

"You have no idea." she bit her lip and reached down to grab him.

Leo let out a strong groan at the feeling of her fingers around his erection. She held him tightly and slowly moved her hand up and down on him. Her slowness was killing him, so he began thrusting into her hand. Piper smiled as he did so and watched as he threw his head back, almost reaching his release. She was getting extremely turned on watching him. Not wanting to cum all over her, Leo pulled out of her hand.

"I want to be inside you." he whispered in her ear.

Piper bit her lip in anticipation. He gently grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Slowly, he pushed his hard, thick erection into her. She almost came at the sensation. Piper moaned loudly as he was finally all the way inside. She grabbed the sheets as Leo started thrusting into her. He leaned down to her neck and sucked on her weak spot.

"Leo," Piper moaned. "faster, baby, harder."

He smiled against her skin and pulled all the way out before slamming back in. Piper grinded her hips into his as he repeatedly pulled out and slammed back into her. He grabbed her hands and pulled them up to the sides of her head. He intertwined his fingers with hers, touching palm to palm. Piper moaned and panted and gasped as he went faster and harder. She squeezed his hands before rolling them over and straddling him. She started circling her hips on him, feeling his member in every direction. She tilted her head back in pleasure as she rode him. Leo ran his hands over her body before pulling her down to kiss her. Their tongues fought for dominance in Piper's mouth. He rolled them back over, still locked at the lips, and pounded into her, making her moan continually into his mouth. Soon, their orgasms ripped through their bodies and they came in undeniable bliss.

"Oh, Piper." Leo collapsed onto her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." she whispered in his ear, wrapping her arms around him.

He slowly slipped out of her and laid on his back next to her. Piper crawled on top of him and laid there. Soon, the lovers fell asleep in each other's embrace.

_o_

It was barely dawn the next morning, when Leo woke up. It was early, yes, but he just couldn't sleep anymore. Piper was still sleeping on top of him. He smiled and looked down at her. She was beautiful. The lovemaking they had done the previous night was incredible, but hadn't erased what he learned about her past. And they still had lots to talk about. Leo was still curious as to why Piper was quiet and distant from him one minute, then all over him the next. It seemed like a bad time to be intimate, but Piper wanted it. Maybe, it was her way of distracting him from talking about her fears. Leo sighed; why was she running from him? All he wanted was to see his wife happy and laughing again.

Piper started stirring in her sleep; Leo thought she was waking up. But then, she started tossing and turning on top of him. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion when she started mumbling in her sleep.

"Leo," she murmured. "I'm sorry. Leo, don't. Please…"

Piper turned over and fell onto the bed next to Leo. He turned on his side to look at her, listening to what she was saying.

"I love you. Please don't leave me. Leo…come back." a few tears escaped her closed eyes.

Leo couldn't watch anymore. He gently stroked the hair out of her face as he whispered soothing words to her.

"Piper. Sweetie, wake up." he spoke. "Wake up, baby, it's just a dream."

Piper opened her eyes to see Leo slightly hovering over her. Instantly, worry covered her face as she looked at him.

"Leo, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Don't leave me. Please, I'll get better. Don't leave. I won't do it again, I promise." Piper reached out for him and frantically ran her hands over his chest, shoulders, and face.

"Honey, I will never leave you." he stroked her hair. "Why would you think that?"

"I did something that made you mad and you said you didn't love me anymore and that you didn't want me." tears began to fall from her eyes again.

"Hey, shhh…" he wiped her cheeks. "No matter what you do, I'll never stop loving you. I'll always want you, Piper. It was just a dream."

"You promise?" she sobbed. "You will never leave me?"

"I promise, baby." he kissed her sweetly. "What did you do to make me think I would hate you?"

"I…I tried to…to kill myself." she stuttered.

"You what! Piper, that's completely irresponsible and thoughtless!" Leo exclaimed.

"No, please don't be mad! I won't try it again. I don't know why I did. Please, Leo…" Piper started to cry again.

She grabbed onto his arm to keep him from leaving. Leo couldn't help but be worried about her. She looked so scared and vulnerable; it broke his heart. He pulled her closer to his body, until they were pressed against each other, and wrapped an arm around her. She buried her face in his chest, with her arms around his back.

"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you. Why would you take away your life, if there's nothing wrong with it? You have two sisters who love you very much and you have a great job and you have friends and you have a husband who loves you more than anything. You have it all. Why take that away?" Leo spoke in her ear.

Piper didn't answer, she just shook her head. Leo knew she knew what the reason was, she just didn't want to tell him. He also knew that when Piper was ready, she would let him in. For now, he would just have to be her comfort.

**Wow, is this chapter long or what? I hope it was good and you all enjoyed it. This story is lots of drama, romance, and emotion. I hope I covered all of that so far. Please review; they mean a lot. Thanks guys.**


	15. A Burning Feeling

**Hello, my lovely readers. It has been quite a while since I've updated, but here's the next chapter. Please, enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any aspects of Charmed.**

"Piper," he spoke softly into her ear. "Piper…"

She groaned a little and snuggled closer into his chest. Leo smiled and stroked the hair away from her face. She rubbed her cheek against his chest and continued to sleep peacefully.

"Wake up, sweetie." he kissed her forehead.

"Mm-mmm…" she mumbled, shaking her head. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Come on, honey. I will get a bucket of ice water, and it's not going to be pretty." Leo smiled.

Piper slung her arms around Leo and pulled him on top of her, snuggling under his warm body and inhaling his heavenly scent. She smiled against his neck with her eyes still closed. Leo stuck his hands under her shoulders, letting them slip beneath her pillow. He nuzzled his face into her neck before kissing her there.

"Do I need to get the ice water?" he teased.

Piper tightened her arms around Leo and wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed his neck with innocent intent and smiled. Leo returned the gesture, then looked at her. She opened her eyes.

"Are we not talking?" Leo asked. Piper blinked once slowly and continued to smile. "Why not?" he asked, pouting slightly. She just shrugged and looked away.

Leo stared at her for a while. She gazed out the window, knowing he was watching her. She knew he was still worrying about her, and she didn't want that. He shouldn't have to be so concerned about her.

He wanted to help her feel better, but it would take some time. The first thing he wanted Piper to do was talk to him about how she was feeling. He couldn't read her mind, and it irritated him at times. Now she wouldn't talk to him at all, and he was trying to figure out a way to make her speak.

"Piper, you can't keep shutting me out." he tried. She didn't budge. "You have to deal with what you're feeling, so let me help you."

Piper remained quiet, but the smile that had graced her lips was gone. The conversation just got a little too serious for her liking. She turned her head to look at him, observing the expression on his face. An expression filled with concern and frustration. Piper knew her silence irritated him, but what was she to do? She felt no comfort talking about her insecurities and fears. So why did he keep pushing the issue? If he really understood, then he would just drop it.

Piper shook her head in disappointment and gently nudged him off her. She sat up in bed and wrapped the sheet around her body, then made her way over to the bathroom. She knew her ignorance was straining their relationship, but it was just too hard otherwise. Silently, she turned on the shower, and waited for just the right temperature. She stepped in and welcomed the warm water hitting soothingly against her skin. A shower was just what she needed…but, something was missing. Piper turned the nozzle a little more to the left, and the water became a bit hotter. She turned it a little more, and the burning increased on her skin. Tears sprung into her eyes as the water stung her, but she couldn't change it. The pain brought some relief, washing away the hurt and anger she felt in every inch of her body. She leaned against the shower wall and closed her eyes. The tears trickled down, cooling her searing cheeks. This is what she wanted. She wanted to feel numb. She wanted to break out of the fears that tied her down. She wanted to be free.

_o_

Something's not right. Something doesn't _feel_ right. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Leo sat on the bed, just listening to the shower. It was quiet in there, and if he concentrated, he could feel Piper's pain, her need to be freed. But, he also could feel that she was going about the situation the wrong way. Fear twisted in his stomach as he jumped up from the bed and grabbed his boxers, pulling them on as he hastily made his way to the bathroom. Steam and heat poured out of the now opened doorway and Leo immediately threw open the shower door.

"Piper," he managed to speak through his shock. She was leaning against the shower wall with her eyes closed, quietly sobbing as the water struck her skin. Every inch looked painfully red. "Oh, god…"

"I just…I just can't." she mumbled between tearful breaths. "Leo, I can still…feel it. All over. All over me. And in my head."

Leo's heart was about to burst in grief. He quickly grasped the nozzle and slowly began turning the water to cold in order to cool off her skin. Piper flinched as she felt the change in temperature. He grabbed her towel and gently wrapped it around her. She collapsed into his arms, too weak to stand on her own feet. Leo lifted her effortlessly and carried her into the bedroom, placing her on the bed. Piper barely moved, the pain starting to increase. Leo's hands hovered over her skin, healing every part of her. Piper's breathing returned to normal, aside from her sobbing breaths, and looked at Leo, who seemed to sigh in relief, but anger flickered over his features.

"I can't even trust you to take a shower by yourself." he huffed as he pulled the towel closer around her body. "What were you thinking?"

"I…I…" but she couldn't form a sentence, let alone look at him anymore.

"Just forget it. You won't give me an answer anyway." he said, standing up. Leo grabbed some pants and a shirt from the dresser and pulled them on. "I'm going to get one of your sisters to watch you."

Piper watched him leave the room, and as soon as he was gone, she cried openly. It was starting. He was leaving her.

_o_

"I don't know what to do, Prue." Leo sighed and leaned warily against the kitchen counter. "She's not getting any better. Last night, she was almost normal, but then this morning, she's closed off and distraught. I don't think I'm helping."

Leo's heart felt as if it was about to burst. He couldn't ignore that burning feeling in his chest. Piper was on the road to suicide and if he couldn't help her, he'd never forgive himself. Why was this happening to her, of all people? It just didn't make any sense. It couldn't be magic related…could it?

Prue could see all the pain written on his face. This was heartbreaking for him.

"That's not true. You're a huge help." Prue tried to comfort him. "She's just resisting. It's going to take some time and a lot of supervision."

"I'm just afraid. I don't feel like I'm in the same marriage. I see the same woman, but she's not the same person. I love her so much, and I'm losing her, Prue. I'm losing her." Leo's eyes filled with tears. He buried his face in his hands.

Prue pulled him into a hug and tried to soothe his aching heart. Tears shone in her own eyes at the thought of Piper slipping away. Not knowing what to do at a time like this was the worse feeling she ever had.

"Alright, I know this is hard, it is for all of us, but we can't just wallow. We need to push everything as hard as we can, because if we don't, we _will_ lose her." Prue spoke confidently.

Leo took a deep breath and nodded his head. He dried his face with his hands and took another breath to compose himself.

"I need you to watch her for a while. She's shutting me out and I need a moment. I'm sure she'll want you or Phoebe right now." he said as he raked a hand through his hair.

"Piper does want you here, how could she not? Just don't take too long." Prue said.

Phoebe walked into the kitchen to see Leo and Prue in a serious conversation. "Hey, guys. What's going on?" she asked, moving to sit on the stool at the island.

"Piper was trying to hurt herself this morning." Leo turned to look at the youngest sister. "She was in the shower, standing right under the head and the water was at boiling point."

"What! Is she okay?" Phoebe panicked.

"She's fine. You guys can watch after her today and make sure she doesn't hurt herself. I will be back soon." Leo said.

"Where are you going? Piper needs you." Phoebe said.

"It's okay, Phoebe. I'm coming back. I just need to take a breath. Piper is not talking to me and I need to compose myself. Maybe an hour I'll be gone." Leo explained.

"Okay, just hurry." Phoebe said.

Leo nodded slowly before disappearing in orbs. Prue and Phoebe looked at each other, fear evident in their eyes. Silently, they went upstairs to Piper's room. The two sisters walked in after a light knock on the door. They found Piper curled up in a towel, hair a little damp, and sniffling on Leo's side of the bed.

"Piper, honey." Prue started.

"He's…he's leaving." Piper hiccupped through her tears, clutching onto the towel with shaky hands.

"No, sweetie. He's not leaving." Phoebe went to lie behind Piper in the bed. She stroked the hair out of her face.

"He is…leaving. He didn't…stay…with me. It's…it's like my dream. He doesn't love me anymore." Piper cried.

"That's not true." Prue sat in front of her. "He just needed to be out for a while. It hurts him when you push him away. He loves you, Piper, more than anything. He left because he thought you didn't want him around. He was giving you space because he thought it would make you happy."

"I don't want to push him away, I want him here. But, he keeps asking me questions I don't want to answer, so I just don't talk to him. I didn't realize it was hurting him. I'm so selfish." Piper sat up in the bed, wrapping the towel around her, and wiped her face clear of tears.

"It's okay. You just need to open up to him. That's all he wants and it will help you to talk about it. It will be hard to do, but that's what will make you feel better." Phoebe said. "Plus, I don't want to see this ruin your marriage. This family is so close, we have to stay that way."

"Okay, I'll try. I just feel…I feel so scared, and nervous and I keep dreaming that Leo will break my heart in some way. It's kind of hard to look at him sometimes. I've realized that _I'll _be the one to ruin our relationship." Piper sighed.

"No, you won't. everything will be okay as long as you talk to him, you know, make sure he knows you still want him." Phoebe said.

"Yeah, and try to get past this. You're not alone. We're here to hold your hand." Prue took Piper's hand in hers to emphasize the meaning. "We're not gonna let you drown."

Piper started to tear up. She _wasn't _alone. Her sisters were there to help her face the fight. And her husband was right behind her as well. She wasn't going to fall. She wasn't going to give in to her fear.

**I know, it was kind of short. But, I think it came out really well. I'm sorry again for the wait. With school and stuff, I'm practically scraping time together for this. I hope you could find some hints in this chapter to indicate what's going on. I'll try to update as fast as I can, I promise. I've got too many projects going on, but I'll find the time to write these stories for you. It's like my getaway. Anyway, please review. Thanks guys.**


	16. Trust and Be Trusted

**Hey, guys. I know, long time no read, huh? Well, I'm sorry for the long absence and you should be happy to know that I'm back with chapter 16. So, please enjoy and let me know how it is.**

Breakfast was set on the kitchen table. The three sisters moved about in their casual routine: Phoebe gathering her books that were strewn all around the kitchen, Piper slaving over a hot stove, and Prue collecting all her equipment for her photo shoot. Once the chaos was quickly put aside, the sisters sat down to enjoy a grace period before continuing their hectic day.

"Breakfast smells great." Cole complimented while walking into the kitchen.

"Thanks. Will you be joining us?" Piper asked with a smile.

Cole looked at her for a quick second, surprised by her behavior. "Uh, yeah." He pulled up a chair and dug right in.

Breakfast was as pleasant as it used to be before Piper's trauma. The almost-normal behavior was like a break in the clouds of rain, shining a light of hope down to instill some peace. Laughter was shared among the light conversation and nothing seemed to ruin the moment.

Just then, Leo walked in. "Hey, guys."

Everyone looked his way. Leo deliberately kept his gaze to a minimum when he looked at Piper. He didn't know what her progress was, but seeing her out of their bedroom seemed like a good sign.

"Hey, man. Where did you disappear this morning?" Cole asked.

"I had a meeting to take care of." Leo said, moving over to the kitchen table.

"Are you staying for breakfast?" Piper asked quietly, nervous to speak to him.

"Yes." he replied briefly.

"Phoebe, do you need a ride to class today?" Prue asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, Evan has errands to run." Phoebe answered.

"Evan? I thought I said I didn't want you riding with him?" Cole said, a jealous tone present in his voice.

"Honey, he is just a friend. He gives me rides to school. Nothing more." Phoebe reassured him.

"He wants to give you rides other than to school. I know what he's thinking." Cole sneered.

"Oh, stop your worrying." Phoebe rolled her eyes, then stood from the table. "Prue, let's go before Cole locks me up in my room."

"Hey! Can't I worry about my girlfriend riding with some other guy…" Cole's voice began fading as he followed Prue and Phoebe out of the kitchen.

Leo and Piper were left alone in a tense silence. Neither knew what to say, or even where to begin. Piper shot a nervous glance towards Leo, who kept his gaze locked on the table.

"Leo…" she began, but had no idea how to continue.

He looked up at her. She averted her eyes, then got up from the table. Leo sighed heavily, deciding whether or not to chase her. Stumbling upon a decision, he stood up and followed her to their bedroom. He found her pacing back and forth, staring at the floor. He took a few wary steps into the room and Piper bumped right into him. She jumped back instinctively and her eyes shot up to look into his.

"Piper, tell me what you want." Leo said firmly. "I can't keep living like this."

"I…I want to…" she stuttered. "I want to talk."

"About what?" he took a step closer.

"About how I feel…I want you to know." she took a step back as he took one forward again.

"What exactly are you telling me?" he asked calmly.

"I-I…" she continued to back up until she was against the wall. Leo slowly approached her. He trapped her between himself and the wall.

"What is it, Piper?"

Piper was quiet for a second. "I love you, and I don't want to shut you out."

His heart melted at those words. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's all I wanted from you. To hold you and comfort you and be your rock. Was it really that hard to let me in?"

"No…I don't know. I just didn't want to talk about it and I didn't realize I was shutting you out. I'm sorry. I didn't know not talking would make you leave." she replied nervously.

"Honey, I never left. I only gave you space because I thought that's what you wanted." he said.

"No, I want you here, with me. But, I was too afraid to admit how I felt. I'm really sorry. Please, I promise I'll talk as long as you don't leave me." she cautiously placed her hands on his waist, keeping him close to her.

Leo cupped her neck and looked into her eyes. "I have no intention of going anywhere." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Piper wrapped her arms around his waist and moved in for another kiss. She hugged him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He whispered into her hair.

(((o)))

Night fell over San Francisco and a cold front was sweeping through. The manor was quiet as everyone gave way to the call of sleep and peaceful dreams while creaks and groans of the Victorian disturbed the silence every so often.

Tucked away in her bed, Piper clutched the sheets to her body, pulling them closer around her. She shivered in her sleep, offended by the cold. Subconsciously, she reached her arms out across the other side of the bed. She expected to feel a warm body, but her hands made contact with only sheets and pillows. Piper opened her eyes to see the bed empty.

"Leo?" she called out into the darkness. No one answered. She hurriedly sat up in bed and switched on the lamp on the nightstand. She didn't see him anywhere. "Leo!"

Her heart started pounding in her chest. Leo always answered when she called. Something was wrong. Panicking, Piper threw the sheets off of her and ran out of her room. She checked every room and failed to find him. "Leo! Where are you?"

Suddenly, she felt two arms wrap around her. She quickly turned around thinking it was Leo, but came to see it was Prue and Phoebe instead. "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Piper gasped breaths between her tears. "Where's Leo? I keep calling for him but he isn't coming. Where is he!"

"Oh, sweetie. He isn't coming back. He's gone, remember?" Phoebe spoke quietly, stroking Piper's hair.

"Gone? What do you mean he's gone? Leo wouldn't leave me." she cried in disbelief.

"You drove him away. He couldn't stand to see you shut him out. He left because he didn't want this anymore. He didn't want you anymore." Prue said.

"No. He loves me. He wouldn't leave." Piper shook her head, trying to shake the words from her mind. Prue and Phoebe started to disappear. "No! Don't leave!"

"You pushed us away." Phoebe's voice echoed as they continued to fade. "You let us all go."

"Come back! I'm sorry!" Piper screamed. "Please, come back! NO!"

"Piper! Wake up!" Leo gently shook her. "Piper, it's just a dream. Wake up!"

Piper jolted in bed. She was covered in sweat and shivering. It took her a minute to register everything. Her dream: everyone left her. Reality: she was in bed, with Leo's arms around her. Piper quickly turned to look at him. "Leo! Why did you leave me?"

"Baby, I never left you. It was just a dream." he smoothed the hair out of her face.

"I woke up and you weren't there. I went looking for you and all I found was Prue and Phoebe. Then, they started to disappear. Everyone was gone." she cried into her hands. "It was my worst fear come true."

"Shh, that will never happen. We're all still here. Look at me." he pulled her face up to his. Wiping the tears away, he looked into her eyes. "I'm right here."

Piper stared at him. He was right there, close enough to touch. Suddenly, she jumped into his arms. He was so shocked, he fell backwards onto the bed. She held him tightly as they laid in each other's arms. Soon enough, Piper was asleep again, this time, with Leo holding her protectively.

The next morning, Piper found herself on her side of the bed. Not comfortable enough, she rolled over and snuggled against her husband. An arm wrapped around her waist and she sighed in contentment, drifting off to sleep again.

"Piper," he gave her a squeeze.

"Hmm?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Time to get up." he said.

Piper shuffled onto him, so that she was laying directly on top of him, and opened her eyes. "Don't I get a kiss first?"

Leo smiled and place a sweet kiss on her lips. "Now, could I possibly get up?"

"Hmm…No." Piper laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Suddenly, they snapped open and she let out a scream.

"How about now?" he grinned as he continued to tickle her.

"Ahhh! Leo, stop!" she squirmed on top of him. "Leo! I can't…breathe! LEO!"

Piper fell over onto the bed. Leo's hands were relentless, though, only stopping when he climbed on top of her and pinned her down. "You don't fight fair."

"Oh, honey. You should know by now. I never do." he leaned down and kissed her.

"Now can _I_ get up?" she asked sweetly.

"Hmm…" Leo retorted, mocking her. "No."

Piper knew struggling wouldn't work, so she did the next best thing. She pulled him down and kissed him passionately. Leo's resistance began slipping, so she took the opportunity to flip them over.

"Now who's not fighting fair." he asked, breathlessly.

Piper just smiled and hopped off the bed. Leo smiled at her retreating form, happy to see her playful side again.

(((o)))

"Prue, Phoebe? Can I talk to you?" Leo asked.

Prue and Phoebe looked at each other, then followed Leo out of the kitchen.

"What's up, Leo?" Phoebe asked.

He turned to them and sighed. "I think I know what's wrong with Piper. I mean besides the whole 'trauma' thing."

"What do you mean?" Prue asked, confusion sweeping over her features.

"Well, last night, she was screaming in her sleep. I don't know if you guys heard her, but she was crying and tossing and turning so I woke her up. When she came to, she was asking why we left her." Leo explained.

"Left her?" Phoebe worried.

"Yeah. She said that the three of us disappeared and she was all alone." he said.

"We would never do that! Why would she even think that?" Prue exclaimed in disbelief.

"Because it's her worst fear." Leo said. "Piper even said so. After she woke up and told me what she dreamt, she said it's her worst fear come true." He gave them a pointed look, and they both caught on to what he was implying.

"But how?" Phoebe's eyebrows furrowed. "It's not even Friday the 13th."

"I don't know." Leo shook his head. "He could be working with somebody. It could be the factions again. I really think he might be the reason Piper has been so jumpy and paranoid."

"I think you might be right." Prue said. "I'm not ruling it out just yet. I'll check the book."

"Okay. I'm gonna check with the elders and see what they know." he said before orbing out.

Phoebe looked at Prue. "He's catching on."

"I know." Prue sighed. "We need to warn Barbas before he's found out. Their whitelighter is smarter than we thought."

"How long do you think it will take to kill the witch?" Phoebe asked.

"Not long. From what the whitelighter said, her fear is already starting to take control of her. It'll consume her soon enough." Prue smirked.

Phoebe returned the smirk. Just then, a key rattled in the lock on the front door. Prue and Phoebe looked at each other, then blinked out of the house.

"I can't believe you cancelled on him." Phoebe scolded Prue as they walked through the front door.

"Yeah, well, you try going on a date with a stick-in-the-mud. It's not fun, okay?" Prue defended herself.

"Oh, trust me. I have." Phoebe shook her head.

"Well then stop berating me." Prue said, walking through the foyer to the kitchen.

Phoebe followed hot on her heels, both unaware of the evil presence that had been in their home just a few seconds earlier.

**Hey…how was that? Just threw in some crazy stuff in there. Tell me what you think. I wanted the plot line to be a little more mysterious. Hope I did it justice and I hope to see some new reviews. Thanks guys.**


	17. The Pressure of Normalcy

**Hey, guys. Now, I have a dilemma. See, I'm not sure how long this story is going to run. I actually wanted to post a few more chapters and finish it. A battle is on the horizon and that could end the story. I have a few other ideas for Charmed stories, so I would be posting those. So, tell me what you think of this one. Please enjoy.**

Piper stood in front of the bathroom sink, staring into the cabinet. The middle shelf was lined with pills and medicines. She had been standing there for roughly five minutes, debating if she was making the right choice.

_Do it. It will put an end to all your suffering. You will find peace._ The voice rang loud and clear through her head. Tears gradually collected in her eyes. If this was the right choice, why did it feels so wrong?

Piper had no more time to dwell on that thought. She quickly shut the cabinet and turned on the tap as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Piper?" She heard his voice and was immediately racked with guilt. She turned to face him, noting the concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"

Piper smiled weakly and nodded.

"What were you doing?" he asked softly. She looked away and shrugged. Leo's face flickered with disappointment. She was giving him the silent treatment again. He sighed. "Well, Prue's making dinner tonight. Come down when you're ready."

He turned to leave, but stopped when he felt her hand grab his. She gently tugged on it and he looked at her. She pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't hesitate putting his arms around her. Piper hid her face in his chest, inhaling the heavenly scent that was Leo.

"I love you." he whispered into her hair. Piper looked up at his face for a brief moment, then kissed his chin in reply. "You know, there's something I'm missing."

Piper's eyebrows knitted together in question. Leo's hands crept up her back, slipping into her shirt, and caressed her skin.

"The last time I had this thing was this morning. Do you know what that is, Piper?" he asked. She shook her head. "No? Well, I'll give you a hint. It can only come from you."

Piper stood silent, wondering what he was missing. Not coming to an answer, she shrugged.

"Okay, here's another hint: It always brightens my day when I hear it." Leo smiled.

She stared at him incredulously. She shook her head in defiance. Leo's hands slid higher up her back, traveling to her sides. They dropped to her waist and he lifted her into his arms, as if she didn't weigh a thing. Her hands gripped his shoulders for balance as he wrapped her legs around himself. He pressed her into the wall, making a sandwich with himself, her, and the wall. "Now, there's no way to escape."

Piper remained quiet. She stared at him, slight amusement adorned her face. He pushed his body against her before kissing her. "Are you sure you have nothing to say?"

She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel herself getting lost in his eyes, pulling her into him. In his arms, nothing ever hurt and all fear vacated her mind. That's just the power Leo had over her.

"What will it take for me to hear your voice?" he asked.

Piper simply smiled. She placed her lips on his, enticing herself with his kisses. Leo eagerly complied. She tightened her grip on him as the kiss increased to a hungry, passionate one. Her tongue touched his, and a moan escaped her lips. Leo smiled and pulled away, his mouth barely touching hers.

"Moaning doesn't constitute talking." he breathed heavily.

Piper's eyes were trained on his lips, wanting more of him. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Okay, then," Leo sighed, setting her on her feet. "I guess there's no way to get you to talk. So, I'm just going to go."

He started to leave when she pulled him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't leave."

"Ah, she speaks." he smiled. "If you want me here, you'll have to give me more than that. Talk to me, Piper."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything. I want to go back to having conversations like we used to. I miss you." Leo said with such seriousness, it made her feel horrible about the way she had been acting.

"How can you miss me? I'm right here." she said.

"I miss talking to you, having a decent conversation with you. I miss the way you used to be. Smiling, laughing, being somewhat of a pain in the ass," Piper ruffled at that, but didn't interrupt. "I just want to see you fearless again."

"I've always had my fears, Leo."

"But you never let them control you. If you're scared, you can talk to me. I will never judge you. Just come to me instead of keeping to yourself and trying to work up the courage to swallow pills."

Piper's body tensed up and her eyes went wide. "How did you-"

"I know you, Piper. I can feel you. I can feel your need to let go and when I find you in the bathroom, it wasn't hard to put two and two together."

She dropped her head, avoiding his eyes. "I just don't know what to do." Her vision blurred with tears.

"I'm right here, baby. Look at me." He lifted her gaze up to his and caught the tears that dripped from her eyes. "I don't know what to do to convince you, but I'm not going anywhere. I am here for you, 27/4. Whenever you need me, for whatever reason, I'm an orb away. You should know that."

Piper nodded and brought him close enough to her that air couldn't even pass between them. She buried her face in his chest, enjoying the feeling of having him with her. "I'm sorry."

"Do you really want to die, Piper?" he asked. "You know how you feel when you think I'll leave one day and never come back? Well, that's exactly how I'll feel if you leave me. How do you think your sisters will feel? Even Cole will have a hard time. We've had this conversation before. Honey, killing yourself is not going to solve anything. And it scares me to think you want to leave us."

She looked up at him, her face damp with tears. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I just want the voice in my head to stop telling me that you don't care about me and that I'm not good enough to live-"

"Just stop right there. If I didn't care about you, why am I here, bending backwards to make sure you're okay? It's not for kicks. And how in the hell could you not be worthy of living? God, Piper, why are you listening to this voice?" Leo couldn't help but get angry. If Barbas was really behind this, he would make him pay.

"Please don't be angry with me. I'm sorry." The tears wouldn't stop now. "I'm trying, really I am. But, it's hard."

Leo's features softened. He hated to see her cry. "I know, baby, I know. I'm not angry with you. I'm angry at whatever is making you this way." He wiped the tears that continued to fall.

Piper shook her head and leaned up to kiss him. He held her close. After she had calmed down a little, Leo spoke up. "Maybe we should take a break."

She swiftly pulled back. "A break? What do you mean? You-you said you wouldn't leave me!" Panic rose in her throat.

"Piper, calm down. I didn't mean a break from each other. I meant a break from here. Let's take a vacation. You, me, your sisters, Cole. Let's just all get away from here."

Piper took a shaky breath, attempting to compose herself. Leo cautiously reached for her. She stepped back into her embrace. "Okay. A vacation sounds nice."

"Okay. I can take time off from the Elders. You're good with work, too. I'll talk to Prue." Leo gave her a reassuring squeeze. "This can be a good thing."

She nodded vigorously into his chest. "I love you, Leo."

"I love you, too."

(((o)))

It didn't take much convincing for Prue to agree to the trip. Phoebe and Cole were on board right away, and the family decided to leave in two days, giving them enough time to get what they needed together. By the time the night before they leave for the trip had come, everything was set. Work was taken care of, clothes and toiletries were packed away, the car was ready, and the five members of the Manor were more than ready to get away from the menacing lives they lead.

"I promise to try to get back to normal during this trip." Piper looked up from Leo's chest.

The couple laid in their bed, Leo lying on his back with Piper curled up against his side and his arm around her waist. "No one is pressuring you to do anything, Honey."

"I just want you to look at me like you used to." She laid her head back on his chest.

"What do you mean? I still look at you the same." he said.

"No, you don't. You look at me like you're scared. Scared that something might happen to me." she replied.

Leo sighed. "That's because I am scared something might happen to you. It's not unusual to be worried about my wife, though."

"But, I don't want you to worry too much. I want you to look at me with love the way you used to." Piper looked up at him. "The way I look at you."

He drew her into a heated kiss. "I look at you with all the love in the world. That will never change."

Piper smiled. Another kiss was shared between the two before they turned off the lights and drifted into a contented sleep in each other's arms.

Morning came with the rise of the sun and the singing blue jays perched on the window sill of Leo and Piper's bedroom. Streams of sunlight washed over Leo's face, bringing him out of his sleep. He stretched, well as much as he could, before he noticed Piper was practically sleeping on top of him. Her leg was hooked over his hips and her arm laid across his stomach. He looked down to see her head resting on his chest. He smiled at the sight and stroked her back. Piper made a humming sound as she stirred from her sleep.

"Morning, sunshine." he grinned.

"Morning." she replied in a baby voice, which usually presented itself in the morning.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded and yawned. "You?"

"Surprisingly well for someone who sleeps under someone else." he smirked.

Piper blushed slightly, but made no move to get up. Instead, she shifted a bit more so she was closer and tightened her grip on him.

"Are you ready to go on this trip?" He asked, pulling the hair out of her face.

"Yes, I am." she answered with a small smile. "A beach house on the coast, just the five of us for two weeks. I'm more than excited."

"Glad to hear it. Well, it is now," Leo stretched his neck to see the alarm clock on the nightstand. "8:14. We need to get up soon."

Piper slowly pulled herself out of his embrace and sat up, stretching a little, and getting out of bed.

"Wow, you must really want to go if you're not fighting to stay in bed." he teased her.

"No, I just don't want to be next to you." She made a face at him before bursting into laughter and running into the bathroom as she saw Leo hop out of the bed and chase after her.

(((o)))

"Alright. We have everything?" Prue asked as she shut the trunk of her jeep.

"Yup. We're good to go." Phoebe answered as she walked around to the passenger seat.

"Okay, so let's do this, and have a hell of a good time." Prue smiled, jumping into the driver's seat.

The other three climbed into the back. Cole sat behind Phoebe, Piper was in the middle, and Leo sat on the other side of her. He threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer into him. Piper smiled, laced her fingers through his, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, and let's keep the lovey-dovey couple stuff to a minimum, okay? I don't want to be depressed during this trip." Prue announced while buckling her seatbelt.

Everyone laughed at her comment as they pulled out of the driveway. A few hours in, Cole had taken the liberty of driving to converse with Phoebe while Prue sat in the back. Piper had fallen asleep not too long after they had left, and Leo had no problem with her sleeping against him. He looked down at her peaceful face and smiled, enjoying the sight.

"You know she's going to get better, right?" Phoebe looked over at Leo.

Leo sighed. "I know."

"It's going to take time, and at least we'll get a little break. She needs it." Prue chimed in.

"Yeah, I know that, too. I just really hope she can get through this." Leo looked down at Piper again. "You know I found her in the bathroom, almost ready to take pills?"

"What?" The panic in Prue's voice was evident, and Leo wasn't surprised. "When was this?"

"A few days ago, when I suggested the trip. I feel she's getting worse, and I'm afraid I won't be able to save her." He sounded so defeated.

"Leo, you can't think like that." Prue shook her head. "Piper needs you, so you better not give up on her. None of us are giving up. She loves you and she's just as scared as any of us. Piper needs you, Leo."

As if to accede the statement, Piper snuggled up even more to him, rubbing her cheek against his chest in her sleep. He smiled down at her.

"See?"

Leo nodded and gave Piper a slight squeeze before placing a kiss to her head. He wasn't going to give up. They would fight. Together.

**Please review guys. Chapter 18 is coming soon.**


	18. The Calm Before the Storm

**It's update time. I decided to make this chapter more family oriented than action. There is some fluff in there, but I didn't take out the drama. Anyway, enough explaining. Please enjoy.**

The car pulled up into a gas station late in the afternoon. Cole climbed out to fill up the tank while Prue and Phoebe got out just to stretch. Piper managed to sleep through the whole drive so far and still hadn't waken up yet.

"Piper," Leo said, stroking her cheek. "Honey, wake up."

She moaned slightly, stirring from her sleep. She wrapped her arm around Leo's torso and snuggled into him.

"You have to get up, and stretch a bit." he said. "Besides, it's my turn to drive."

"I don't want to. I'll lose my pillow." she smiled as she poked him in his side.

Leo smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You're pillow isn't going anywhere. I'll tell you what, as soon as we get to the beach house, I'll be your pillow as long as you want."

"Double extra promise?" She looked up at him with a smile.

"Double extra promise." He kissed her quickly, but thoroughly before getting out of the car.

Piper ran into the store with her sisters for a restroom break. Once they got back to the car, Leo and Piper jumped into the front, leaving Prue, Phoebe, and Cole in the back seat. During the remainder of the drive to the beach house, Prue had her head buried in a novel she was reading to distract her from the two couples she was forced to ride with. Although she was happy for her sisters, she couldn't help but feel left out and quite lonely. Cole and Phoebe were cuddled up together and were playing their own quiet game of 'I Spy' in between whispering sweet nothings to each other and sharing a kiss here and there. Piper had immediately sought out Leo's hand once they left the gas station. Any contact with him helped ease her worries, but she felt she was being a burden on him. She was never the clingy type, but she needed reassurance that Leo was there. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he absentmindedly caressed her hand with his fingers. Occasionally, he would bring her hand to his mouth and kiss it. Piper would smile every time, feeling happier than she had in a while.

The five finally arrived at the beach house around dinnertime. Walking through the door, they discussed sleeping arrangements. The house had a decent sized living room, a den, and well-stocked kitchen, and a deck that led out to the beach. The second floor had the four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. They all awed over the beauty of the beach house as they familiarized themselves with each room. After choosing which bedroom to sleep in, everyone got ready to go out for dinner.

(((o)))

The moonlight danced across the trembling water, sparkling in every direction. There was a hum of crickets that blended with the whistle of the wind. Standing on the balcony of their bedroom, Piper smiled to herself. The peace she had been so desperately coveting had finally washed over her and the serenity was like a breath of fresh air. Her mind drank up the scene of the ocean. She chuckled lightly. It reminded her of Leo. The way the water quivered under the moon's warm glow; just like the way she quivered under Leo's radiating love. It's kind of poetic, and very much true. No man had ever been able to make Piper swoon the way Leo does. No one has ever touched her heart and left a hole in her soul when they had been away for too long. No matter how infuriating he could be sometimes, she would never ask for anything better, because there simply wasn't anyone better for her than Leo. And her musings were affirmed when he wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

"Penny for your thoughts?" His chin rested comfortably on her shoulder.

"For you, my thoughts are free." She turned her face toward him and dropped a kiss on his lips. "I was just thinking of you."

"And why am I running through your head?" he asked in a whisper.

"Because you have this incredible ability to make me head over heels in love with you and consume every one of my thoughts." Piper replied, looking out into the night.

"Hmm…I enjoy that power of mine." he smiled, then kissed her neck lightly. "You should be happy to know that you do the same thing to me. And I'm glad you do because I don't ever want to think of anyone but you."

She smiled and pulled his arms tighter around her. Her head fell back onto his chest and the couple stood on the balcony, watching the edge of the water touch the sandy beach shore, then drift back into the ocean. It was late, maybe just after one in the morning. But neither seemed to care. They were caught up in the comfort of each other's embrace.

"Tell me about Lillian." Piper spoke, breaking the silence.

Leo froze. "Is this a trick?"

"No, silly. You never talked about her before, not really. I want to know a little bit more about her." she responded. "I mean, she was your wife."

"But that was a different lifetime. Lillian was the first girl I ever truly loved. There's really nothing to it."

"You loved her. You married her. That is something. Come on, it's not fair that you know everything about me and I don't know anything about your past. I just want to know what she was like. You know, how you met, why you loved her, things like that." Piper turned around in his arms to face him.

"Is it really that important to you?" he asked.

She nodded innocently. When she pulled the puppy dog face, he knew he couldn't get out of it. "Alright. I was just drafted to fight in the war. I couldn't believe it. I was actually going to fight for my country. I can't tell you how excited and terrified I was, to be risking my life defending America. Anyway, we were out on the battlefield for about a year. We had a small window of opportunity to retreat and we were on leave for three days. My first night back I saw her. There was a carnival in town. She looked so beautiful in this yellow sundress and I knew I had to know her. We spent the whole night together, then I went back to town the next day, hoping to find her. She was sitting in this little café, reading a book, and she looked just as pretty as the night before. I could tell I was falling for her and it had only been a day. Needless to say, we spent the remainder of my trip together and when I had to go back, it was like my heart was being ripped out. We had spent every waking moment talking, sharing even the smallest of details about our lives with each other. I knew if I didn't find her when I got out of the war, I would just die. Luckily, when we had a longer leave of absence from fighting, I was stationed in the same town. She was still there. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I saw her. She was just as surprised as I was. She jumped into my arms the minute she reached me. Wouldn't you know it? She had been waiting for me the entire time. Right then and there, I knew I had to marry her. I had to make sure she was always there when I get back. The wedding wasn't too much. Just something to declare our love. It was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to me. Marrying Lillian was the best thing I ever did. She was smart, beautiful, funny, strong. She dealt with all my absences like a real trooper and I never had to worry about her being unfaithful to me. She was the most logical step in my life. I never regretted choosing her."

By the time Leo had finished his story, Piper was beginning to regret asking him to tell her in the first place. She tried to be supportive, but it sounded like Leo was still in love with Lillian. Piper felt like she just couldn't compare.

"So, you still love her." It wasn't a question. She couldn't look at his face, too afraid of his emotions.

"Of course I do." he said. Piper's head dropped lower. "But it's not the same. Lillian was my first love. She was like a miracle that happened to me. Sure, I was very happy with her, but something was always missing. She couldn't reach my soul, Piper. Not like you can. You're my soul mate, my heart." He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look into her eyes. "She was the best thing that ever happened to me, until I met you. As soon as I saw you, I knew I found my other half. Baby, you are _the one_. Lillian was great. But you are this beautiful, sexy, smart, strong, funny, amazing person that I can't ever see myself without. Don't think I'm replacing Lillian with you, or that you can't compare. I'm with you because I love you, so much."

Piper smiled through teary eyes. His declarations of love always took her breath away, no matter how many times she heard them. "You really mean it?"

"You shouldn't even have to ask that question." Leo said, dropping his head down to kiss her passionately. She eagerly accepted. "I hope you know that you shouldn't feel insecure about Lillian. She is not the center of my world anymore. You are, and you always will be."

She smiled and kissed him again. "Good to know." She took his hand and led him back into the bedroom, a flirtatious smile across her lips. "Show me I'm the center of your world right now."

Leo grinned and slowly pushed her to the bed. The back of her knees hit the bed and she fell, pulling him with her. The first touch of his lips had Piper's head swimming. She reveled in his taste, his touch, all of him. He was her haven; her own slice of heaven.

(((o)))

Piper's eyes fluttered open. She found herself lying on her stomach, one arm underneath the pillow, one arm across the other side of the bed. She felt a breeze float into the room from the opened balcony door, brushing over her bare back. The white sheet only covered her lower half. Piper groaned softly and turned over onto her back, pulling the sheet over her chest. She stretched out over the entire bed and smiled. She felt amazing, thanks to the blissful night she had previously. Piper looked around the room, searching for the reason she felt so calm. There was no sign of him, though. She sighed, her calm slowly draining from her body. But suddenly, the bedroom door opened and in walked Leo.

"Hey, beautiful." He awed at how good she looked, sprawled out over the bed, covered in nothing but the sheets.

"Hi there." she smiled, making no move to get up. Leo licked his lips and climbed onto the bed, laying directly on top of her. He bent down and kissed her neck, moving up to her lips. She smiled and held his hands in hers, intertwining their fingers. "So, what's on the itinerary for today?" she asked after they broke apart.

"Whatever you want. This vacation is all about you." he answered.

Her forehead wrinkled. "But Prue and-"

"They already know. It's about letting you have fun. It's whatever you want."

Piper's face slowly lit up. "Okay. I want to go to the beach today. Play around in the sand and splash around in the water. It sounds like fun."

"Then the beach it is." Leo kissed her. "Breakfast is on the table. Come down when you're ready."

"Give me fifteen minutes." she grinned and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him senseless.

After a hardy breakfast and a grace period to relax, the five put on their bikinis and swim trunks and walked onto the beach, looking like they had just stepped out of a swimsuit catalog. Heads were turning from every direction as they walked along the sand. Prue strutted in a navy blue two piece; it consisted of a bra top that tied around her neck and connected with a ring between the breasts and a bottom that had a picture of a diamond printed on her left hip with the words 'Girl's best friend' across her backside. Cole sported a pair of red swim trucks that hung low on his waist. White strips ran down the sides of his swim trunks with the word 'Hollister' written in red. His upper body was rock hard and flexed when he walked. Phoebe matched him, wearing a daring red two peace. The top was strapless, wrapping tightly around her chest and the bottom stayed together by the strings that tied on the sides. Leo wore a pair of black swim shorts that rested low on his waist. 'Miami' was scrawled across his shorts numerous times in purple and his upper body was sculpted to perfection, his muscles rippling as he walked. Piper counteracted his outfit with her purple swimsuit. It was designed with a black flower print on the two piece. The top tied behind her neck and had a clasp on the back. Unlike her sisters, she wore tiny boy shorts that had 'beach babe' written on her butt. The five found a spot in the sand to lay their blankets down and prop their umbrellas up.

"Alright, Cole. You and I made a bet last night." Piper stated as everyone lounged around.

Cole smiled. "Are you sure you want to bet me? I'm unstoppable."

"Oh, please!" she scoffed. "I could take you."

"Piper, I've held my breath for an entire twenty minutes during a demon attack. I could definitely beat you." he gave her a look.

"Won't stop me from trying. Now come on." She pulled him up and dragged him to the water.

Leo, Prue, and Phoebe laughed as they watched them. "I'm glad to see Piper's in a better mood. She seems like her normal self. What did you do to her, Leo?" Phoebe turned to him.

He smiled. "I just treated her like there was nothing wrong. It seems to be working. She isn't having nightmares anymore. She doesn't seem so scared. I mean, it's only been a day, but she's doing well."

"Yeah, it's good to see her smiling again." Prue smiled.

"It sure is." Leo smiled at the sight of Piper dunking Cole into the water and laughing while he came back up. It was such a beautiful view. "Hey, I never got to ask you guys. Did you find anything in the book about Barbas?"

Bewilderment spread across their faces. "Barbas? Why would we be looking him up?" Prue asked.

"Because he might be the reason Piper is so afraid. I already told you this." He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"No you didn't. I think I would remember hearing this." Phoebe said.

"I told you a few days ago. I told you that Piper said something about her worst fear and you guys said you'll check the book and then I went to talk to the elders. Don't you remember?" He was worried now. If they didn't know…

"Leo, you never talked to us about this." Prue said.

He looked between the two of them. "Then, who was I talking to?"

**Chapter 18 done! How was this one? Long and very detailed. I enjoyed this one. I don't know why, but the part with Lillian was my favorite part. What about you guys? Review and tell me what you think. Thanks.**


	19. Forget the Worries

**So, I needed a huge distraction, so I decided to write the next chapter. The only thing that seems to defuse my anger right now is Leo and Piper. So, please enjoy this dramatic, yet fluffy, chapter. Please review.**

Hours went by, the sun settled lower in the sky, and the Halliwell girls still roamed the beach with Leo and Cole. Prue and Phoebe sat on the towels with Cole as they played a 'Charmed' version of trivia. Each were their own team, and Phoebe was currently kicking butt. Leo and Piper stood in the water, gazing out into the ocean. A little while earlier, the two were caught up in a huge water fight, which ended with Piper dunking Leo into the water. She laughed hysterically as he came up spurting water from his mouth, scolding her. She started to back away from him when she realized he had a way of getting even. He caught her around the waist and threw her into the water. She came back up just as angrily, but it faded when Leo pulled her to him and kissed her. Now, they stood together, just basking in the beauty of the rolling waves. However, Piper could sense there was something that was bothering Leo.

"What are you thinking about?"

He looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You look…confused. Why?" she responded. Leo sighed and looked skyward in thought, not sure what to tell her.

"Oh, no," Piper gripped his wet shirt at the waist, moving closer to him. "Do you have to go? Please, don't tell me you have to leave."

He put his arms around her, keeping her in his embrace. "No, sweetie. I don't have to go anywhere."

She rested her head on his chest, nodding slightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist, worried she might have to let go soon. "Then, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about you." It wasn't a total lie.

Piper smiled slightly. "Oh."

He kissed her head and gave her a squeeze. Before he knew it, Piper had pulled him down under the water again. She swam further in and he followed curiously. She smiled at him and pulled him close, wrapping herself completely around him and placing a kiss on his lips. He swam to the surface to breathe in some air. Piper smiled and smoothed the hair off of his forehead. He smiled and kissed her ardently. It was times like these that he felt so lucky to have her in his life. For the innocent, quirky things she does that make her who she is, who he is. He pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too." she whispered, clutching him tightly, but comfortably.

(((o)))

Night swept over the beach, spreading a calm, starry display across the velvet black sky. The moon cascaded a soft glow and the temperature touched just below eighty degrees. Everything was peaceful.

That night, the gang decided to go out to dinner again, but at a different restaurant. It was called _Trio's Bar and Grill_. The girls found the name somewhat of a secret nod to the Power of Three and, on the spot, picked that restaurant. It was one of those places where you sat around the chef and watched him cook. It was quite a tasty experience. Dinner was very eventful, filled with conversation, laughs, and new memories. Once their bellies were fueled with food, Cole proposed the idea of hitting the bar. They sat at the bar, sipping away at their favorite alcoholic beverages. Small talk was made amongst themselves, and after quite a few drinks, they were getting tipsy.

"I spy a pool table and I'm gonna shoot me some pockets." Cole smirked and went over to the table.

"I'm going, too." Leo stood up and trailed after Cole. Immediately, they were engaged in an intense game.

Piper downed her drink and ordered another one. "So, how's the vacation so far?" "I'm having fun. It's exactly what we needed. Cole's good, too. He's been raving about how the demonic bounty hunters can't track him and he seems like he's finally relaxing." Phoebe smiled.

"Yeah, I'm having fun, too. Other than being partially left out, I'm glad we're here." Prue contributed.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you find someone to hang out with?" Piper suggested, finishing the next drink she had ordered. "There are a lot of hot guys here. I noticed some earlier at the beach. Just pick one and have some _real _fun."

Prue and Phoebe looked at each other. "You were looking at other guys? With Leo right there?"

"Hell yeah!" Piper giggled. "But it's okay. Leo looks at other girls. I know he does." Then she sighed.

"No, he doesn't." Prue said. "I was watching you two the whole time. He couldn't take his eyes off you."

"Really?" Piper smiled shyly.

"Of course." Phoebe added. "He loves you."

"I love him, too." Piper's eyes drifted to a guy walking by. "Ooh, and I love that one, too."

"Piper, are you okay?" Prue asked.

"Yeah!" Piper finished another drink and stumbled off of her barstool. "Gotta spread the love around."

Prue and Phoebe exchanged looks again, then watch their sister walk unsteadily to a group of guys. They followed her just in case she did something stupid.

Piper took one look at each man before pouting. "They're not Leo." She turned to her sisters. "Prue, where's Leo?"

Phoebe chuckled at Piper's behavior before pushing her in Leo's direction. Piper giggled when she saw him leaning over the table, concentrating on the solid red ball. He pulled the pool stick back and struck the cue ball, hitting the red one straight into the pocket. He stood straight and grinned at Cole, basking in his winning streak.

Piper practically ran over to him, her peach-colored sundress flowing in the breeze. She clasped her hands around Leo's neck once she reached him and pulled him down for a kiss. Leo was completely shocked. Piper pulled away and smiled innocently at him. "Hi."

"Hi." he said in a daze.

Piper jumped up onto the edge of the pool table and pulled Leo to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him passionately. People were starting to turn their attention to the couple who were acting like love struck teenagers. Prue quickly ran up to their side, breaking them apart. "Leo, she's drunk. Maybe you should take her back to the beach house."

"But I don't wanna go." Piper whined. She laid down on the table, knocking the balls out of place. "I want to lie under the stars."

She raised her arms above her head and stretched, her legs still around Leo. The guys in the bar stared at her, and he noticed.

"Okay. Time to go." He pulled up from the table. He unwrapped her legs from his waist and set her on her feet.

"Leo," she whined again, linking her arms around his neck. "I want to stay here."

He pulled her arms down. "No. We're going." He turned her around, holding her by her upper arms, and escorted her out of the bar while she complained and stumbled with each step.

Once they left the bar, Piper turned her head and whispered, "Hey, Leo. Guess what."

Leo sighed in amusement. "What?"

"I'm not wearing any underwear." She giggled like a schoolgirl.

That got a laugh out of him. "Yes, you are, Piper. I saw you put them on."

"Well, I don't want to wear 'em anymore." She started lifting her dress up.

He quickly grabbed her hands and pulled them behind her back like he was going to handcuff her. "Are you crazy? We're in public."

"I _am_ crazy." she replied as they reached the sidewalk. "Crazy for you." She grinned and turned her head, trying to kiss him on the mouth, but her lips only got as far as his neck.

"Piper, stop. You're drunk off your ass right now." He shook his head at the thought. She knew better than to drink so much, but he had to admit it was nice to see her so carefree, and she was cute when she was drunk.

Suddenly, Piper stopped walking. He looked down at her to see tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you mad at me?" she asked, sounding more like a child in trouble than a grown woman.

He sighed. "No, Piper. I'm not mad at you."

"You sound like you are." The tears spilled over the rims of her eyes.

"Baby, I'm not mad at you. I promise." He wiped her face dry and pulled her into his embrace.

Piper sniffled and nodded against his chest. "Leo,"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?" he asked.

"Tell me you love me. Tell me you will never stop loving me, even when I make you mad." She fisted his shirt in her hands, pulling him in closer.

"I will _never _stop loving you, Piper. I will love you until the ends of time, maybe even long after that. Even when you make me mad, I love you. Because it is that strong." He kissed the top of her head.

She smiled and looked up at him. She raised her head to his, seeking out his lips. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. "You know, we have the beach house to ourselves for a while. What do you say we make use of it?" His eyes twinkled devilishly in the moonlight.

Piper giggled. "Okay. And you can relieve me of my underwear."

Leo laughed heartily and led her to the beach house.

(((o)))

The next morning, while Piper was still tucked away in her dreams after a less than innocent night with her husband, the rest of the household sat in the living room, having a family meeting.

"We're on vacation. How do you suppose we check the book? If we end the trip, Piper is just going to get suspicious." Prue said. They all were brainstorming on a way to go after Barbas without tipping off Piper.

"I could shimmer there. I'll take you and we can check the book. That way, Piper can still enjoy her vacation while we figure out how to save her." Cole offered.

"Yeah, I'll stay here with her and we'll pretend you guys went sightseeing or something." Leo said.

"Okay. Should we go now?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah," Prue stood up from the couch. "Let's go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we save Piper."

Phoebe nodded and got up as well. The two girls walked over to Cole and the three shimmered back to the manor.

Leo sighed and stood there for a moment, rolling over in his thoughts. He sighed again, then made his way to his room. Cracking open the door, he peeks in to see Piper still sound asleep. He smiled and slowly walked into the room and climbed onto the bed.

"Piper," he spoke softly. She stirred a little, but continued to sleep. Leo gently laid on top of her. She still didn't wake up. "Honey, it's time to wake up."

She moaned lightly, mumbling something incoherent. Seeing that words weren't going to rouse her from her sleep, Leo decided to try another way. He bent his head and peppered kisses along her neck, moving down to her collarbone, then going back up. A slightly suppressed giggle came from her lips. He smiled and looked up to see her eyes moving under her lids.

"I know you're awake." he teased.

She squeezed her eyes shut and smiled before turning her head into the pillow. Leo kissed the part of her neck that was exposed and started sucking on a particular spot that drove her crazy. In an instant, Piper's hand gripped the back of his shirt and she moaned.

"Are you awake now?" he whispered against her neck.

She turned her face to his and smiled before kissing him passionately. "I'm wide awake. But, I have one hell of a headache."

Leo chuckled. "That's because you indulged a little too much last night. Put on quite a show, though."

"Oh, God!" Piper groaned. "Was it like when I was possessed by that she-demon?"

"Well, you didn't table dance, but you did jump up onto the pool table and made out with me. And you didn't get into a cat fight, but you did cry as we walked back to the house." He kissed her lightly.

"Oh, making out with you is no embarrassment." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Why was I crying?"

"You thought I was mad at you for getting drunk." he answered.

Piper sighed. "I am sorry. It was uncalled for. But, it felt good…to feel so…happy."

"There's no need to be sorry. I would have gone about it another way, but you did what you had to do to feel happy." he said.

"I am happy, the way I am. But, I needed to forget all my worries." she looked away, as if ashamed by her actions.

"Hey, I'm not mad. And I don't judge you." He pulled her face back to his. "It's okay."

Piper smiled. "You're too good to me."

"You're too good for me." He pulled her into a passionate kiss, knowing they were one step closer to restoring everyone's peace of mind.

**Done! Please review. It keeps me going. What do you think is going to happen in the next chapter? Hmm? Have any ideas, I'll see what I can do. Thanks guys.**


	20. One Step Closer

**I know. Too, too long since my last update. Truly sorry about that. But, please enjoy chapter 20 and don't forget to review.**

Piper had gotten out of bed and went to get ready for the day. She brushed her teeth, took a quick shower, got dressed in a brown tank top, a thin, white see-through sweater, and khaki shorts. Her hair fell down her back in slight waves. Leo was wearing a white wife-beater, a gray short-sleeved button down shirt, and black shorts. His hair was spiked in the usual unruly pattern, making him look sexy.

When Piper walked out of their room, she found the house empty. "Where is everybody?" she asked Leo once she entered the kitchen.

"Sight seeing. They left kinda early this morning." he replied.

"Really? Why didn't they wait for us?" she wondered.

"They wanted to give us some time alone." he smiled.

Piper's face lit up with a smile. "Oh." She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "How sweet of them."

"Yes. So, let's not waste this precious time." He engulfed her in a hug. "How about we make some breakfast and then walk along the beach?"

"Sounds very good." she replied. She leaned up and gave him a kiss. "Pancakes?"

He smiled down at her. "Sure. And how about some ice cream on top?"

"Ice cream on pancakes?" Piper laughed.

"Yeah! You never tried it?" he asked in mock surprise.

"No," she smiled. "I've tried syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries, but that's about it."

"Well, whipped cream has me tempted to do things to you, so that's out of the question."

Piper turned to him. "Why is that out of the question?"

"Because it involves naughty things." Leo gave her a look.

"So?"

"So, I don't want to do them." he said.

Piper scoffed and planted her hands on her hips. "And why not?"

Leo laughed at his wife's behavior. She looked so insulted and he couldn't help himself from laughing harder. Piper grew livid as he wouldn't stop.

"What the hell is so funny?" she yelled. "You think I'm fat and ugly, don't you?"

"Piper," Leo managed to contain himself. "Why would you think that?"

"Because, you're not attracted to me anymore." She began to get watery eyes.

"Who said I'm not attracted to you anymore? We had sex just last night." he said. Confusion swept over him as he watched her.

"That was last night. What, are you done with me now? Am I not good enough for you?" she shouted.

"Honey, what is the matter with you?" Leo grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. "You're beautiful, and insatiable at the moment."

She pushed him away. "Oh, so now I'm too needy?"

"Piper-"

"I knew I was being too much of a burden. You don't love me anymore. Is that it?" Piper started to cry, but she furiously wiped at her cheeks.

"What makes you think that?" Leo was getting frustrated with her.

"You! You don't want to make love to me, so obviously you don't love me." she cried.

"I don't know where you came up with that, but it's not in the slightest bit true." His voice grew louder with each syllable, but he realized he was yelling and calmed down. "Baby, I love you."

"Liar!" Piper spat and stormed passed him.

Leo grabbed her arm in order to stop her. Piper threw her hands up and he froze. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and disappeared out the back door.

_That's it, Piper. Run._ The voice in her head coaxed her to escape. And she listened to every word.

(((o)))

"What do you mean she's gone?" Phoebe worried.

"She froze me and took off." Leo was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, mentally beating himself up over losing Piper.

Prue, Phoebe, and Cole came back a few minutes after Piper ran off and Leo had unfrozen to see them standing there looking rather confused.

"Well, she used her power on you. Use your power on her and get her back here before something happens to her." Prue said.

Leo slapped his hand to his forehead quite noisily. He forgot he could orb. "I'll be right back."

He orbed into a secluded part of the beach. He looked around in bewilderment. This is where he had sensed her. But he didn't see her. He walked along the strip of sand before finally spotting her. She was curled up in a ball under some low tree branches, her knees tucked into her chest and her head resting on top of them. He could hear her sobbing and it broke his heart. He cautiously made his way over to her.

"Piper,"

Her head whipped up and she saw him slowly walking over to her. She quickly stood up and was about to run away again when he caught her by the arm. Remembering what happened last time, he took her hands in his. She tried to yank her hands away, but he was too strong.

"Honey, what's going on?" Leo asked gently. "You were okay, and then you just freaked out on me."

"I don't know." she cried. "I just feel like you don't love me anymore."

"How can you say that? Do you honestly believe I could ever stop loving you?" He tucked some of the stray hairs floating in the wind behind her ear.

"Not really. But, then…sometimes…I can get so horrible and I think, how can you love someone like that?" she responded, subconsciously entwining her fingers with his. "There's this voice in my head that sounds like me, but in some way, I can tell it's not. And it tells me that you don't want me and our love isn't real."

Leo shook his head violently, a disbelieving look on his face. "You've got to stop listening to that voice, Piper. Everything between you and me is real. Everything. I'll always want you. You know that. Don't ever doubt my love for you."

"I'm sorry." Piper cried. "I don't know what to do. The voice is so strong."

Leo pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into his chest as he gently rubbed her back. "All you have to do is come to me. Don't run away." he whispered soothingly. "Don't run away."

Once she had calmed down enough, Leo orbed them back to the beach house. Piper had just gone straight to her room. Prue and Phoebe didn't push her. They could see she was in no danger, so they let her be. Leo wordlessly followed her, shutting the door behind him. Piper was standing in front of the balcony doors, staring at the beach.

"Why can't I control this?" she finally asked.

"You can, honey. You're strong. I'll be there to help you." Leo took a few steps toward her.

"Can we not talk about it?" she spoke, sadness clearly dripping off each word.

"Whatever you want." He wrapped his arms around her.

Piper leaned her head against his chest and breathed deeply. He felt her body start to relax. Inwardly, he sighed. She needed to be this way more often; relaxed and free of worry. He would see to it that it happened.

"Come on." Leo tugged her toward the door.

"Come on where?" she asked, following him.

"We're going to talk to Prue and Phoebe."

Piper's eyebrows furrowed. "Any particular reason why?"

Leo didn't answer. He just took her hand and led her out into the living room. Cole, Phoebe, and Prue were sitting on the couch talking amongst themselves.

"I think we need to come clean." Leo spoke.

The three looked at him as he walked in with Piper, who looked slightly alarmed.

"Come clean about what?" she asked.

"About what's going on. Why you're so afraid." Leo looked at her. "Why you can't trust what you know is real."

Piper looked at him, fear rising in her throat. She looked at the other three. They were all staring at her. "Wh-what?"

"Piper, we've been worried sick about you. We try not to show it because you don't like it, but we can't help it." Phoebe said as gently as she could as not to frighten her sister. "But you need help."

Piper stood silent with wide eyes. She shook her head and tried to make a run for it. Leo quickly, but tenderly, grabbed her around her waist. Prue and Phoebe hurriedly stood up.

"No! Let me go!" Piper squirmed, tears falling from her eyes.

"Honey, calm down. We're only trying to help you." Leo whispered soothingly in her ear.

"No! Please!" she cried.

"Listen to me. Listen to my voice. It's me," Leo spoke soothingly. "You're not in kind of trouble."

Piper's crying subsided into sobs. She stopped fighting him off and buried her face into his chest.

"It's okay, it's okay." He rubbed her back soothingly.

No one spoke for long minutes. The silence was only disturbed by Piper's occasional sniffles.

"Uh, Piper? Are you okay?" Prue asked once Piper seemed calm.

All she did was nod against Leo's chest.

"Okay, honey," Leo gently nudged her toward the couch. She reluctantly obliged and sat down. Leo took the spot to the right of her as Phoebe sat on her left. "Look, we've been looking into what's wrong with you without you knowing."

Piper nodded slowly, reaching for Leo's hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"And we've found out quite a bit of information." Phoebe said.

"What did you find out?" Piper asked quietly, staring at the floor.

Phoebe looked at Prue. She nodded and took a seat on the table in front of Piper. "Uh, the fear and the voice and the worry is all connected to one demon. One demon that we've faced before." Prue stated.

Piper was silent again. Suddenly, though, she looked up. Realization overtaking her expression. "That demon is…"

Phoebe took Piper's left hand and held it supportively. "Barbas."


	21. Facing Your Fears

**Okay, second to last chapter here. The whole 'Barbas' thing goes down in this chapter. The next chapter will sadly be the epilogue, but I hope to begin a new story soon. Please enjoy.**

Piper jumped off of the couch, panicking. "How? It's not Friday the 13th!"

"We think he was working with some demons," Prue started carefully. "Maybe he struck some kind of deal."

"But, why?" Piper gasped. "Why me?"

"We think it's his way of getting to all of us. He just went after you first." Phoebe said.

Leo gently pulled Piper back down onto the couch and wrapped her in his arms. "It's okay. We'll get him."

"So, after we vanquished Dan, Barbas has been getting into my head?" Piper asked. "Is that why I'm so afraid of losing you guys?"

Phoebe nodded. "He's playing on your greatest fear."

Piper sat still for a moment, letting the information sink in. "What do we do?"

"We track him down and vanquish him. But first, you need to get over your greatest fear." Phoebe stated.

"How do I do that?" Piper asked, clutching Leo's hand.

"Piper, you need to know that we would never leave you. We're a family and family always sticks together." Prue said.

Piper looked away. "I know that."

"Look at me," Leo prompted. Slowly, she met his loving gaze. "We love you. Nothing and no one can change that. And when you love someone, you never let them go. Understand?"

Piper nodded and dropped her head to his shoulder. Leo kissed her forehead and looked at the other two Charmed Ones. "We'll all go back home to the book and go after Barbas. I have a feeling he might be ready for us, so we need to be careful."

Prue and Phoebe nodded. They both stood up and shimmered out with Cole. Leo looked back down at Piper.

"Am I going to be okay?" she asked in a small voice.

"You're going to be absolutely fine." He kissed her on the head again.

"Can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything," he said hesitantly.

"When this is all over, can we take a trip together? Just the two of us?" She raised her eyes to look into his.

"Of course," he smiled.

Piper smiled and kissed him softly. Her wrapped his arms tighter around her and orbed them to the Manor. Prue and Phoebe were already looking in the book.

"Originally, there was no spell or potion to vanquish Barbas, but Phoebe came up with a potion," Prue said. "Now that he knows how to team up with other demons, he can die just like them, too."

"That's good. I can track him," Piper said, moving over to the table that had the map and scrying crystal.

"Actually, Prue can do that. We need you to make the potion. Your kickass cooking skills is in high demand." Phoebe gave a smile.

"Okay," I'll be downstairs then." Piper smiled, taking the piece of paper from her baby sister.

Leo followed her to the kitchen and sat down at the island. He always loved to watch her cook, whether it be making dinner or brewing potions. Plus, he just wanted to keep an eye on her.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

"Uh," Piper looked over the ingredients on the paper. "Well, you could grind the dragon root for me."

"Okay," he got up and got the dragon root off of the middle shelf in the cupboard and retrieved the grinder from the bottom shelf.

Piper got to work on filling the cauldron with water and letting it boil. Next, she prepared the eel skin. She cut it up and set it aside to check on the water. She looked over at Leo to see him working on the dragon root. She smiled admiringly and walked over to him. Piper wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Leo smiled. "No big deal."

"I meant for everything you do for me," she said.

Leo momentarily forgot about the dragon root when her wrapped an arm around her and kissed her slowly. "For that, you are very welcome."

The water in the cauldron began to bubble, so Piper released her husband and grabbed the powdered dragon root. She tossed it in and began stirring.

Prue and Phoebe came into the kitchen with Cole about twenty minutes later.

"Potion's done and I'm ready to get this son-of-a-bitch," Piper said, bottling up some of the potion.

"Hmm, seems you already got your attitude back," Phoebe joked.

Piper smiled. "I feel confident about this."

"And why is that?" Prue asked, taking some of the viles Piper handed to her.

"Because I have you guys," Piper answered with a smile.

"Okay, group hug. Right now," Phoebe squealed like a child as she pulled Piper into a hug. Prue readily jumped in and Cole followed suit. Leo smiled and wrapped his arms around everyone and placed a kiss on the back of Piper's head.

Piper giggled. "Can't breathe!"

Everyone laughed at their little love fest.

(((o)))

Somewhere in the underworld, the Charmed Ones orb and shimmered in with Leo and Cole.

"Alright, I tracked him here. I'm guessing he's through that cavern." Prue pointed to a small opening between the stone walls.

"Okay, there's no time for small talk. I say we barge right in and take him out." Phoebe suggested.

"I agree," Piper nodded.

"Okay, let's go in, then." Prue took the lead, followed by Phoebe holding Piper's hand.

Upon entering the cavern, the Charmed Ones spotted Barbas by a table covered in different herbs, potions viles, and other unidentifiable objects.

"I knew you were coming. It was only a matter of time," Barbas spoke.

Phoebe felt Piper's hand tighten around hers. She gave her sister an encouraging glance.

"I'm sure you did. But I didn't come here for a tea party, so let's get this over with," Piper said as bravely as she could muster.

"Oh, I see you've overcome your fear, have you?" Barbas gave a sickening smile. He waved his hand and looked into his palm. "Oh, it looks like you've overcome losing your sisters, but you've missed one." Piper's heart rate began to quicken. "You're still questioning your relationship with that whitelighter of yours."

"Don't let him get to you, Piper," Phoebe said. "He's only trying to mess with you."

"Leo," Piper whispered. She began looking around, searching for him.

"That's enough," Prue said. She was about to throw the potion.

"No!" Piper stopped her. She looked at Barbas. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

Phoebe looked behind them to see neither Cole nor Leo standing there.

"I had a few friends of mine pick him up."

"Where _is _he!" Piper shouted, letting go of Phoebe's hand.

"Hmm, probably getting his ass kicked by a few demons," Barbas chuckled.

"Piper, he's lying!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Cole wouldn't let that happen."

"Oh, Cole's a part of this," Barbas told Piper. "He's been double-crossing you this whole time."

"Piper," Prue tried when she took a step forward.

"If you hurt Leo, I swear to God I'll kill you," Piper bellowed.

"I wouldn't hurt Leo. He's been helping me," Barbas smiled. "He's been luring you here. All part of my plan."

"No," Piper shook her head.

"Piper!" Leo shouted from behind them.

She turned around to see him standing there. "Leo, why would you this to me?"

"Because I never loved you," he answered. Tears built up in Piper's eyes. "I just felt sorry for you. I never wanted you."

"No," Piper cried.

Leo walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "We were never real. _I never loved you._"

Piper's heart broke. She swore she could just die right there. But when she looked up into his eyes, anger boiled up inside her. She ripped herself from his grip.

"You bastard! How dare you!" she yelled.

"Don't fall for it!" Prue shouted.

Piper just shook her head as the fury continued to build inside her. She screamed and threw her hands up. Leo exploded on the spot. Prue and Phoebe's jaws dropped to the floor. Piper just…blew Leo up? Literally?

Piper turned around to face Barbas. "You think you could just mess with people like that without any consequences? You think you could just manipulate people? How could you do that?"

"It's a gift," Barbas spoke.

"Well, it's time to return it. I'm so over you and your twisted shit!" Piper shouted before flicking her hands at him.

Barbas flew backwards from the blast and hit the table behind him. Blood seeped out from his shoulder.

"Throw the potion," Piper growled at her sisters.

"What the hell was-" Prue started to ask.

"Now!" Piper shouted.

Both Prue and Phoebe threw the potion at Barbas. Piper stood like a statue as she watched Barbas go up in flames, screaming. Then it was quiet. Prue and Phoebe slowly turned their gazes toward their sister.

"Piper," Phoebe said slowly.

Piper turned around, tears in her eyes.

"What was that?" Prue asked.

Piper shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't take it anymore. I was so angry. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to blow something up, and then I did." Tears fell from her eyes.

Prue and Phoebe were instantly by Piper's side, hugging her. "It's okay, honey. We got rid of the demon, so you don't have to be afraid anymore." Phoebe said.

Piper shook her head. "I just want to go home."

"But what happened to-" Prue asked, but didn't get to finish.

Just then, Cole shimmered in with Leo. They looked like hell, no pun intended. Their clothes were scorched in different places and their faces were covered in soot.

"Did you get him?" Cole asked, out of breath.

"Yeah," Phoebe answered.

"How are you here?" Prue asked Leo. "We just saw Piper blow you up."

"Blow him up?" Cole asked.

"It wasn't me. It was probably a shape shifter." Leo answered.

"Wait a minute," Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "How do we know you're not a shape shifter right now?"

"That's ridiculous," Leo said.

"No, it's not. How do we know?" Prue asked.

"Piper, tell them," Leo looked at her.

Piper stared at him. "Answer her question."

Leo walked up to her. Prue and Phoebe stood close, ready to attack. He looked into her eyes. "I look at you with all the love in the world, the way I've always looked at you."

Piper's eyes watered. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Leo hugged her back tightly. She pulled his head to hers and kissed him passionately.

**Get ready for the epilogue! Review! Thanks guys.**


	22. Their Passion

**Well, here it is. The very last chapter to **_**Passion**_**. It was definitely a story I had lots of fun writing and I'm sad to see it go. Thanks for all the lovely reviews. You guys are the best.**

**Anyway, here is the epilogue. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Haven't done this in a while, but I do not own Charmed. The writers have not given me permission yet.**

The next day, Piper woke up in her bed, wrapped comfortably in the sheets. Confusion set in as she tried to remember why she was in her own bed in the Manor and not at the beach house. She tried to recollect the memories of the previous day. Then it hit her. Barbas, the vanquish, her blowing up things; everything. Piper sighed and threw her pillow over her face. All she wanted to do was sleep until next Thursday.

Suddenly, she heard the door open. Lifting the pillow from her face, she saw Leo walking into the bedroom, a tray in his hands. "You're supposed to be asleep." He smiled.

"I probably would be if you were in bed." She sat up against the headboard. "What's all this?"

He looked down at the tray of food. "Breakfast in bed? I figured you could use it."

"And did you cook it?" she smiled.

"I did." He placed the tray on her lap and climbed onto the bed next to her. Piper took the tray and carefully moved it to Leo's lap. Confusion crossed his face, but then dissipated when she moved to straddle him.

"We could both use it," she smiled, picking up a strawberry from a bowl. She took a bite out of it before holding it to his mouth.

He smiled and took a bite. "I hope you're in the mood for pancakes because that's about all I can cook."

Piper laughed. "They look delicious." She cut a piece and put it in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, aware that he was watching her. "Very good. I give it a ten."

Leo let out an exaggerated breath, a hand over his chest. "You had me worried for a second there."

"I'm sure," she replied sarcastically before kissing him. "Thank you. For breakfast, for saving me, for everything."

"You saved yourself, Piper. I just gave you a helping hand," he said.

"You did more than that," she said. "You loved me."

"It's what I'm made to do," he shrugged with a boyish grin.

Piper gave a cute smile, scrunching her nose. "You're so cheesy."

"But you love me anyway," he said, running his fingers over her cheek.

"Always." She leaned over the tray to kiss him. Leo slowly moved it off his lap and onto the nightstand as Piper wrapped her arms around his neck. Once the tray was out of the way, he pulled her closer by the waist, reveling in her kiss.

(((o)))

Piper rolled off of Leo, sweating and panting.

"God, Piper. That was amazing," Leo breathed.

She smiled. "Yeah, it was. I guess when I concentrate, I can really get into it."

"Oh, I love when you concentrate." He rolled over and threw an arm over her stomach.

She giggled, running a hand through his hair. "I love you."

He looked up into her eyes. "I love you, too."

After a nice shower together, not necessarily getting clean, the couple went downstairs hand-in-hand. Prue, Phoebe, and Cole were in the living room, watching TV.

"Hey, you," Prue smiled.

"Morning," Piper greeted.

"How are you feeling?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm feeling fantastic, really." Piper smiled.

"So no fears? No doubts?" Prue prompted.

"Nope. I feel like nothing ever happened. I promise." Piper reassured her.

"Good," Cole smiled. "Hey, Leo, I was meaning to ask you yesterday. How did Piper blow up that shape shifter?"

"Well, the elders said that it's an advancement of her powers. With her freezing power, she can slow down molecules, now she can speed them up."

"Wow, that's one hell of a power," Piper said. "So now all of you need to be careful."

"Oh, please, Piper. If you can't freeze us, I'm sure you can't blow us up." Prue rolled her eyes.

"Well, then boys, you two better watch out," Piper teased.

"I could so take you," Cole threatened with a smile.

"You can blow me up anytime," Leo teased in her ear before kissing her neck.

"Eww," Prue and Phoebe said simultaneously.

Piper blushed and hit him lightly in the chest. "Alright. So, do we still have that beach house?"

"Yeah, why?" Phoebe answered.

"Because I want to go back and enjoy the rest of the time we have there. And I mean fully enjoy it." Piper responded.

"Are you sure? We can just stay here and hang out," Prue said. "I mean, wherever you're comfortable."

"Trust me, I'm fine. Besides, we never did hit the theme park," Piper said.

"Alright then," Prue stood up. "Let's go have some more fun."

"Phoebe, I gotta get you onto Sheikra." Cole smiled evilly at his girlfriend.

Phoebe stood up from the couch. "Nuh-uh, no way."

"Oh, yes way." Cole grabbed her and Prue and shimmered out of the living room.

Leo smiled and wrapped his arms around Piper's waist from behind. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Piper said, leaning back against his chest. She crooked her neck to look up at him. "I mean, with everything I had to live through and maybe still go through in the future, I'm as okay as I can be. I'll never truly be okay with what Tony did or what Dan did or any of that, but in time, I can look back and not feel so sad."

"And I'll be there to hold you through all of it. Whatever's coming, I'll be there," He promised.

Piper turned around in his arms, throwing her arms around his neck. "You better be."

Leo smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Piper met him halfway with parted lips and they disappeared in blue orbs.

In the end, it didn't matter what obstacles you had to face. All that mattered was the person who put you above everything else and held you up when you felt like hitting rock bottom. It's about the love you have to give and receive that makes the journey truly worthwhile. Leo and Piper had nothing to worry about because it was their _Passion_ for each other that brought them together and kept them together through all the rough times and heartache.

The End.

**And the scene fades out. Well, that's the end to **_**Passion**_**. Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed each and every word. I find it pretty funny how it was only supposed to be a one-shot and it ended up becoming a story. Anyway, drop a review and let me know how the epilogue was. Thanks again and be sure to look for more stories from me.**


End file.
